Chance for a Prophecy
by Dorcyy
Summary: You can't stop the flow of time. It's wheel only whirls in one direction. It is impossible for a mere human to change that path. But sometimes the impossible must be done… Naruto time travel fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1 – Face the door of a new life

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of Naruto's story belong to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime (** u/947576/), who helped and corrected my insane grammar.

**Upload date: 14/10/2012**

**Last update: 21/01/2013 (fixing timeline, and some minor things around the discussion with Kurama)**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 1. – Face the door of a new life**

* * *

The impact was overwhelming. For a moment that felt like an eternity, nothing could be seen through the thick, foggy dust. It seemed as if time stopped. Not even a bird chirping could be heard. The wind also seemed to stop blowing, the grass' tender sway also stopped in an unnatural way. Everything froze for a moment, or perhaps for an eternity.

A light groan echoed from a limp body at the bottom of a crater. It was hardly visible because of the debris and dust surrounding the human form.

"There is somebody down there!"

"Hey! Wait! It can be dangerous!"

The only thing that he felt was the enormous pain in his stomach. None of his senses seemed to act like they should normally. He tried to breathe in the air, but the simple act of respiration was so difficult he just give up on trying. Muffled voices echoed around him, as if he was submerged underwater. He tried to slowly open his eyes but the only thing that registered in his tired mind was a foggy picture with abstract forms. Something blue.. maybe the sky…. A silhouette formed into the picture slowly, appearing above him. He tried to focus his eyesight, but it was hopeless. The only thing that he achieved was a new wave of pain in his organs.

"Has he got a hitai-ate? Or anything to identify him?"

"Shut up! He needs emergency medical attention! There is blood everywhere!"

He felt a gentle touch on him. Someone with small hands gently stroked his hair away from his face. He felt peace and safety. It was nice and nostalgic. A soft moan escaped from his mouth.

"Hey blondie, stay still. I just want to help you."

A warm sensation entered his stomach and into his internal organs while green light reached his eyes. _'Medical Jutsu? Someone is healing me.'_ He tried to speak, tried to push the person away from his torso, but the only thing he managed was another light groan. The pain in his abdomen increased and he gladly accepted the tender darkness of the coming unconsciousness.

* * *

Muffled noises rapped harshly in his sore ears and brain. He tried to groan in his displeasure but not even a moan came from his mouth.

"So, how is our patient today? I still can't believe that he survived that wound."

"Yeah. If he hadn't received medical attention when he did I'm sure he wouldn't have even made it to the hospital. Blondie was lucky that they found him in time."

Consciousness slowly came to him as he started to hear the conversation next to him become clearer. He vaguely registered a sterile smell assaulting his senses. _'Blondie? Who the hell do they think they are?'_ He felt his mind slowly start to function more clearly. Still he didn't open his eyes. _'Old habits die hard. Stay still, just pretend that you are still unconscious so you can strike suddenly and unpredictably if you have to.'_ He started to realize what was happening around him. He strengthened his senses as much as he could, and tried to detect if someone else was also in the room. It must be a room, no doubt based on the small echo. Sniffing lightly with his dulled nose, he couldn't smell anybody else near him, only the two talking men. They reeked of disinfectants, blood and illness. _'Must be some kind of medics…' _The bed was uncomfortably hard below him, but he still enjoyed the feeling. It felt nice... really nice.

"Well, I think he will regain consciousness in a week, but based on his extremely high regeneration process, which he never shuts up about, it could also be within a few days. I just don't know. Everything is just very unpredictable with this boy. Anyway, I'm all finished with my shift, he was the last one. Wanna go grab some coffee?"

"Sure."

_'Unpredictable? Huh? You don't know how right you are.'_ He smiled to himself in his mind. An irritated groan left his mouth just after he heard the door shut. His eyes swung open, but he at that moment immediately regretted his action. The sudden light stabbed his irises painfully and he immediately snapped his eyelids shut. _'That was a stupid idea,'_ he muffled to himself in his head. Gradually this time, he tried again. He blinked rapidly to clear away the fog in his vision. He could see nothing but white around him. White ceiling, white walls... until slowly turning his head and spotting machines next to him. _'Yup. Hospital.'_ He closed his eyes and tried to think about the last thing he remembered. _'I was fighting with… wait… HOSPITAL!?'_ He jerked up on the bed and was rewarded with an unexpected amount of pain in his abdomen. A harsh, pained scream echoed in the room despite his will to be as quiet as he could. He gripped his stomach with one of his hands to ease the pain away but it was to no avail.

Panting heavily, he immediately started to map his surroundings, looking for any escape route. _'Shit. I messed this up. I was supposed to quit… I can't be in a hospital.'_ His brain started to work with hyper speed. He checked every corner of the place for an exit, but couldn't find even a window, and he also realized he just couldn't feel his normal chakra flow. He glanced at his arms, and was surprised to recognize a familiar pattern on his forearm: a chakra binding seal. _'What the hell? Am I a prisoner?'_

Just a second after he screamed, people had rushed into the room. Two appeared to be medical staff, judging by their white uniform. He was surprised, however, to see four cloaked and masked people appear next to his bed. He glanced up at the masked soldiers and then to the medics in confusion.

"Ah. We really didn't expect you to wake up today. How are you feeling?" asked one of the medics. He received no answer, only a suspicious, sharp glance from the man's azure eyes.

A seventh man entered the room then. The blond's head swung to his direction and shot a confused look at him, and then turned toward the medics and the masked soldiers again with great suspicion, before the blond's eyes locked onto the new figure again, never releasing him from his gaze. The newly appeared man wore a green vest and a hitai-ate on his forehead.

"Who are you and what are your purposes here?" asked one of the masked men. A dog mask, to be exact.

He didn't hear the question. He froze at the sight in front of him. What really confused the young man is the symbol on his hitai-ate. A whirl with a stripe and a triangle. A stylized leaf. Confusion ran across his face and in the blink of an eye it was replaced with endless pain, the pain of a forgotten memory. The man hardened his expressions and tilted his head to the left and forced his brain to work as fast as it could. _'Come on. Remember. Remember. I was fighting… I hit that jerk with my last Rasengan and then… Oh shit…'_

"Idiot, fucked up, egotistical, red eyed son of a…." The blond man on the bed hissed between his teeth with closed eyes. The people in the room froze at the statement and shared confused looks.

Suddenly he jerked his head up, staring into nothingness. "Why are you doing this to me?! Is this really necessary…" he asked aloud to someone who isn't even in the room with a loud shout, which in the end died down to a low voice, almost whispering. He looked up and the despair was immediately replaced with irritation. The blond flung his leg to the side of the bed and hopped from it, only to wobble from the sudden movement and burden. He stared down himself and with a surprised look, he noticed that, other than boxers and some bandages on his body, he was completely naked.

"Wow… Great plan you red-eyed moron. Embarrass me to death…" He shook his head with irritation.

The medical staff could do nothing more than blink in surprise when the boy slowly raised his hands in front of him, attempting to perform a familiar sign. One of the ANBU jumped closer, gripped his hand and hissed to the boy.

"Don't bother trying anything. Your chakra is already sealed away. You can't even perform a kawarimi." The only visible reaction was a rising eyebrow from the blond as he stared at the Cat mask, as if he was silently accusing him of being an absolute idiot.

"This is the stupidest genjutsu ever…" muttered the blond to himself, shaking his head again in irritation.

"Genjutsu?" replied the Cat. The blond doesn't even bother himself with an answer.

"KAI!"

The effect was instant as a shockwave of chakra flowed from the center. Only the four ANBU were able to stay on their feet, everyone staring at the bed with wide eyes. What they saw was frustration and confusion looking back at them.

"What the hell!?" mumbled the blond to himself. "What the hell is going on!? KAI!"

Another chakra flow lashed out from the young boy, bigger than anything that the attendants ever felt, sending every one of them flying into the walls, most of them instantly knocked unconscious from the force of the impact. The amount of chakra was easily enough to wipe out an S-class genjutsu miles away from the white room. At this point, at the center of the village, a man in his fifties let his mouth hang open. The pipe that had been previously clutched between his teeth had fallen to his desk with a soft clatter, spreading ashes and embers across the surface of paper and scrolls.

Back at the hospital, the young blond boy burst through the only exit of his room, only to come face to face with another small group of people in the hallway. The alien boy immediately froze with wide eyes as he stared at a slightly older man in front of him. Surprisingly, the older man himself also stopped and gazed back in disbelief despite his years of experience on battlefield. It was as if the two men were looking into a mirror, despite some minor variances and the age difference. The younger hospitalized blond moved his eyes to the side, as if he didn't have the courage to face the newcomer. He suddenly cowered as if he were a very small child who did something bad and was awaiting punishment. He looked back at the newcomer, his young eyes were filled with sadness, sorrow, love and... shame? The younger blond's mouth turned up into a small, desperate smile full of caring, than closed his eyes while he started muttering to himself.

"You're not here. You aren't real. Everything is just part of his sick mind game."

"Minato! Brace yourself!" One of the other blond's comrades tried to break the older blond's concentration.

"I know…" he hissed back.

The young blond snapped his head toward the voice as he also snapped from his temporary stasis. While the younger blond's attention was focused next to Minato, a strange kunai with three prongs flew towards the young man. He didn't even bother to deflect it, as he just leaned his head to the left to let the kunai pass beside him. At the moment the kunai passed his ear, Minato's form appeared behind him, with the same kunai in his hand pointing to his neck ready to slice his throat open. All of this in the blink of an eye. Nothing was visible, only the yellow flash of his golden locks.

"You know I am as real as the weapon which threatens to slice your neck."

"You know, I don't think so." replied the young blond as if they were casually conversing about their day over a bottle of sake.

"Why didn't you deflect the attack? You could have easily done so."

"Because I always wanted to see this with my own eyes. Or… whatever. Great… Now I'm talking to myself."

"What are you talking about?"

"Shinobi fighting lesson number two: Genjutsu." he stated casually like a teacher to one of his students. "Kurama! Would you please be so kind as to do something about this ridiculous situation? It's really starting to annoy me to death." He closed his eyes to enter his well-known mindscape, the canal where the Nine-Tailed Fox enjoys his hospitality. However, during the last half year, his mindscape had changed a lot. It still resembled an underground canal, but in the middle of the ankle deep water there was a large patch of green grass, soft light and slowly swinging osier trees despite the lack of wind in the place. A bright orange canine form rose behind the trees and watched the young blond with his glowing red eyes. It opened its mouth filled with razor sharp teeth and answered with a puzzled expression to the blond.

"**Kit… this isn't a genjutsu."** The fuzzy face moved to a frown.

"What do you mean this isn't a genjutsu? This must be because of that bastard's sharingan! The last thing I remembered when that red-eyed son of a -." His breathing and heart rate increased, while something squeezed his chest inside his mindscape. Thoughts raced inside his mind with insane speed, while the irritation was slowly replaced by panic and confusion. The giant canine narrowed his giant flaming eyes and barked out to snap him out from his state.

"**Calm down Idiot or you'll get us killed!"**

He was kicked out forcefully from his own mindscape. _'I can't believe it. That stupid fox. What is he thinking?'_ Minato was still holding his kunai to his neck. The young boy in front of him started to pant heavily as panicked thoughts started to run across his mind. _'The fox must be wrong. How on earth this can be real?'_ Then the boy closed his eyes, obviously started to think. _'There is one more thing that I have to try.'_

"Just everybody calm down!" hissed Minato to the blond's ear.

A heavy snap echoed in the passage. Minato blinked down with one eye just to see. The boy broke his own finger with one of his other on his left hand. His index finger was now pointing at him in an awkward position. _'Shit. He's really determined to prove that this isn't real.'_ As he turned his head to the side to sneak a peak of the other blond, the kunai drew a thin red line on his neck. Not so deep as to threaten his life, but deep enough for him to this time hiss in pain. Minato saw as the mixture of emotions fell from his face and was replaced with confusion and... something he wasn't quite sure of.

"Now do you see that I'm speaking the truth about this being reality and not a genjutsu?" Minato muttered once again to the blond, who flinched when his voice reached his ear.

"No way... This is impossible…" muttered the blonde in a powerless voice, more to himself than to the surrounding people.

"I told myself the same thing when I felt that burst of chakra back at my office."

The voice came from behind the shinobis in front of him, who were now starting to part as someone slowly approached the blond. The young man froze again and his muscles tensed. _'I know this voice... I'd recognize it even if millions of shouting people were around us. No, this can't be happening!'_ He desperately tried to will his body to stay standing. His lungs started to burn, screaming for oxygen, despite his already quickening breathing. A cold feeling started to trickle to his very soul. It was something that he hadn't felt in years. Raw panic reached his heart, and squeezed his lungs, as he felt every last bit of air leave his chest. His head started to spin, and his knees finally refused to hold up his weight. His body fell limply to the cold floor, his lungs desperately seeking air to breathe. Minato only just pulled his hand and the kunai away from his neck before it could actually kill the boy, or at least leave him badly wounded. He looked up just in time to see a familiar old man approaching him in a white robe, a pipe protruding from his mouth, before his vision started to become foggy. He could still smell the familiar scent of the burning tobacco wafting from his pipe. His mind and soul started to relax. His body, however, surrendered the fight to stay conscious.

"Jiji…" He passed out with a gentle smile on his face with one last glance toward the blurry image of the old man, his azure eyes full of hope, before his eyelids buried his irises.

Sarutobi looked up from the young blond to meet Minato's also familiar blue eyes, the same eyes which only seconds ago looked up at him from the floor, hope, relief, respect, and… love abundant within them, despite having never seen this boy before in his life. Sarutobi sighed and turned fully toward Minato.

"I would be very pleased if you could explain what the hell happened here within the last five minutes. Who is this boy?"

Minato blinked at the old man and stayed silent.

"Minato?"

"I don't know. I really don't."

* * *

Minato had decided to stay with the boy when he had lost consciousness. He slowly stood up from his chair next to the door and walked to the bed where the young boy laid beneath the white sheets. _'He couldn't be more than eighteen. Possibly less. He is still almost a child.' _

Originally he was asked to check on the boy, because they had found a sealed scroll and a lot of tags with seals on the surface when they brought him to the village. They couldn't figure out if they were dangerous or not, or even the purpose of them. When he first bumped into him in the passage he froze. He actually froze. He hadn't reacted like that for a decade, not since he was promoted to Chuunin. The strangest of all is he hadn't frozen from fear, he froze because of the sheer surprise of it all. If he hadn't seen his parents die with his own two eyes during the war when he was young, he would have sworn that they could be brothers. His hair was a little bit darker, more golden than his palatine blond hair; his facial features were also very similar to him. Besides the strange whisker marks on his cheeks, everything seemed to suggest that he could possibly be related. His eyes… His azure eyes were the same as his own, however its shape was different, they were more open. But they were still the same as his and his father's. He also had the small little white specks in the middle, just as he. He was a younger version of Minato._ 'Almost a mini me…'_ he thought to himself.

What really upset him was the boy's strength. A Hyuuga medic had already checked his chakra system before he first woke up, and he said that the boy had extremely well-developed chakra coils: something that someone at his age would never have, only the veteran of veterans had this level of chakra system. The Hyuuga could only compare it to Sarutobi or his own. To the Hokage himself!

_'Hell! This boy is very interesting… Interesting, but potentially very dangerous.'_

However, based on the five minutes when they first met in the passage, he didn't think of him as a threat. Somehow he couldn't think of him as a dangerous person to himself or to the village. He wouldn't say he trusted in him, hell no. It would be unimaginable, but still... he had this intuition, and his intuitions never lied to him. At least not until today.

He sighed and walked back to his chair. They made a lot of security enhancements because of the boy. When he woke up for the first time he kicked out four ANBU, one Jounin and two medical ninja with his chakra pulse to release a non-exiting Genjutsu. Now, two whole ANBU squads were surveying him, and Minato also put a new chakra binding seal on him, which would continuously consume most of his chakra and leave the boy on the level of a normal civilian. As extra precaution, he also put paralyzing seals on the boy, so when he woke up the only thing he could do is blink. _'This should be enough to stop even a Kage-level shinobi.'_

His thought was interrupted by a harsh moan from the bed. _'Good. He's waking up.'_

_'Awwh, hell. My head!'_ Another groan escaped from his mouth. He blinked in surprise as he tried to raise his hands to reach his throbbing forehead. The problem was, he couldn't move his arms. A pair of bindings tightly constricted his wrists and ankles. What really upset him was that he couldn't even move his fingers, nor his head. The only thing he could do was blink. Now he was really starting to panic.

"If you stay still this time, I'll remove some of the paralysis seals, so you can sit up a little and speak properly." a soft voice said from one of the corners. His eyeballs snapped towards the voice, but he still couldn't see who was speaking. The voice almost instantly washed away his rising panic.

"Blink once if you understand, then twice if you accept the deal." The boy blinked three times and saw a blond man appear into his line of sight and then stop above him. He eyed him suspiciously, but after a short moment he put his hands down on several parts of his captive's body and channeled some chakra into them. The boy now started to feel something. The problem was that every part of his body that was released was now tingling with numbness, that kind of numb where you can feel thousands of ants marching inside your veins. He grimaced and hissed at the uncomfortable feeling. The other blond above him give a small smile, but his eyes looked at him with cold suspicion.

"The numbness will wear off in a minute. Now you can talk and move a little bit more freely than before."

The blond only nodded and shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the remaining tingling sensation to wear off from his body.

"Can you talk?"

"Y-Yes," the young blonde's voice cracked back to him. "W-Why am I f-fettered?"

"I'm asking the questions. Once I'm finished, you can ask whatever you'd like. Understood?"

The young blond only nodded.

"Good. Now, why are you in the Village? What are your purposes here?"

"I-I don't k-know. Where am I anyway?" Minato didn't answer, just frowned.

"Why did you attack us?"

"Why would I attack you!? This is the first time I've met you!" Minato blinked in surprise and his eyebrows creased as he frowned.

"What's your name, rank, and village?"

"I…." The boy stopped and stayed in silence for several seconds.

"Answer the question!" The young boy flinched. The voice lacked any kindness, only contained the impatient demand.

"I…" He stared to his left just like someone who does his hardest to remember something, and then his eyes widened in panic.

"I don't know… I don't remember a thing." Minato just blinked in surprise.

* * *

**Author's note.**

This is the Prologue and also the first chapter of my story. Please feel free to review if you like it and give constructive critic.

This is my very first attempt to write any story, so consider it also. Give me reviews and advice if I mass up anything.

Also, English isn't my native language, so if you find any mistakes blame me and never my precious beta readers! However I won't upload any unchecked chapters, you can still find some missed mistakes. Especially in the Author's note. Feel free to point them out, so I can correct them, but don't harass my past or current Betas because they are doing me a favour, by dealing with my insane grammar in their free time.

**About the plot:** I will stick to the original storyline of the manga, but I maintain the writer's freedom if it is absolutely necessary for my plot. However the future where Naruto came from is an Alternative Universe. I will try to adapt the new actions of the manga until it doesn't interfere with my plans. You won't find any pairings beside Minato and Kushina's relationship. Note that the seal isn't always visible on Naruto's stomach nor he is emitting Kurama's chakra continuously.

I got a strict and deliberated storyline, so don't feel offended if I won't change it even if you advice it in the reviews or flame me that you don't like it. I'm stubborn and I will stick to my original plans even if you are going to hate me. If I like your idea it could be that it won't appear for a long time, because I'm at least five chapter ahead on my Hdd.

I got a NO SPOILER philosophy, so don't ask about upcoming events, because I won't answer those questions.

**Warning!** I will tease you until your limits, maybe further in the future. If you are impatient, don't click on the next button. Also stop here if you like to know everything at the very beginning, because it won't happen and you will be only disappointed in this story. There are reasons and logic for everything, and it will be revealed in time. I know some of you won't like it because of that, but I do not want to write a fic where everything is clear in the first few chapters. Read it carefully and you will find hints and pointers here and there. One last warning: I adore cliffhangers, so sorry in advance for the future teasing.

Every review will be answered by pm, I don't want to overflow the story with replies.

If you don't like it, just know that I'm doing it absolutely only for my own entertainment. Nothing more, or nothing less.


	2. Chapter 2 – At the doorstep of new life

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime (** u/947576/), without him, I am lost.

**Original upload date: 21/10/2012**

**Last update:none**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 2 – At the doorstep of a new life**

* * *

"What do you mean you don't remember anything?!" Minato's voice was full of suspicion. This wasn't new to him. A lot of captured shinobi resorted to this trick, especially in the last few years. "Amnesia… Couldn't they have come up with something more creative?" he muttered to himself. It was disappointing, really. After their first meeting he had the feeling that this boy wasn't much of a threat, but now… this new declaration gave rise to some doubts. _'I hate these cat and mouse games. They're not getting us anywhere.'_

"What's the last thing you remember?" Minato barked after a sigh.

The young blond blinked and frowned in concentration, but his only answer was a confused look.

"It's... It's you, standing above me… but before that… It's just blank…"

The boy started to panic again and stared back at the man above him. _'Great. Another spy acting the fool… At least he knows his stuff.'_ He let out another sigh and started to massage his forehead in frustration. He really thought the boy would at least come up with something more interesting to explain his previous behavior.

"Where am I?" Minato looked back to the boy, but he refused to give him an answer. The boy's confused look never left his face.

"Who are you and why am I bound to this bed?" Minato was lost in thought as he eyed the blond beneath him.

"Who am I?" He still received no answer.

"Am I a criminal?"

"That remains to be seen…" Minato said with a curious glance.

"I'll go and inform the medics and Hokage-sama about your current state and that you are conscious. Stay still and don't try anything. The medics will examine your head while we try to gather some information about you."

The boy nodded in understanding, and forced himself to calm down and control his breathing. As Minato left the room, he turned back to the boy from the doorway and gave him another suspicious glance. What he received in return confused him yet again. The boy forced his head up as much as he could from the bed and gave him a small, hopeful smile.

"Thank you, and sorry if I caused any trouble." Minato shook his head and closed the door to inform the medics, as well as to give his report to the Hokage.

* * *

Ten minutes later saw Minato staring up at the Hokage tower in the middle of the village. With a sigh, he approached the entrance and nodded with a friendly smile to the Chuunins next to the elaborate wooden door. He always liked those carvings. The foreground was decorated with various shinobi standing guard.

Most of the Genin and Chuunin teams had received their mission scrolls and were now beginning their next tasks... or perhaps heading towards their deaths. Death was always a constant thought on the back of every ninja's mind, because you never knew when the old Reaper would rear his head to take your life. Or one of your comrade's… _'Hell. I shouldn't think about things like this… I'm really not in a good mood today. Actually, this isn't my day at all. Everything is just too chaotic…'_

While he ran through these thoughts, he ascended the stairs and was now standing in front of another wooden door which lead to the Hokage's private office. _'Well, time to get this over with.'_ With this last thought, he knocked on the door and entered when permitted.

"Hokage-sama." He gave a bow towards the man behind the desk and received a nod in return. He approached the center of the room and sat down in a chair in front of the large desk, which was buried under a mass of papers and scrolls despite the early hour. He surveyed the battlefield on the desk and smiled at the sight. The older man tracked his eyesight toward the mess and gave a weary smile to Minato.

"Long day?"

"Don't even ask… What do you want to report to me?"

"The boy that we found in our training ground last week is awake again, and he claims to suffer amnesia." The older man let out a sigh, closed his eyes and beckoned to Minato to continue.

"He claimed that he doesn't remember anything before waking up. He doesn't even recognize me and stated that he had never seen me before, despite his first reaction when he saw me in the hallway," Minato replied.

"What are your opinions on this, Minato?"

"It's hard to tell. I really don't know what to think about him." He shook his head in frustration. "Until I met him, I really thought that I was good at reading people, what their thoughts are, their purposes, usually after hearing the way they speak under pressure or one look in their eyes, but he just confuses me. I mean, he just shows up, bloody, wounded, and then he behaves like a madman, knocks out our most well-trained shinobi and then wakes up claiming to be a normal teenager with amnesia? Come on. It doesn't fit. I can't think of another situation like this happening before. If he's a spy, then he's either really terrible or a damned genius. What kind of spy would reveal his enormous strength before assessing the situation? And going by the security seals, no one suspicious crossed the gates, so he shouldn't even be here. The seals didn't detect any illegal entry at the border. If he lied about the whole thing and this is a part of some well-planned attack, then he must have experience well beyond his years. I honestly can't tell if he's lying or not, and he seems to truly believe he has amnesia. He was confused and disoriented and almost panicked when he realized this. However, when I left he thanked me for my help and apologized for the trouble he caused. Other than all of this he shows all signs of being just a normal teenager." Minato shook his head and gave the Hokage a puzzled expression before he continued.

"I know that I must be professional, but my intuition tells me that he meant no harm to the village."

"Have you any reasonable ideas about what's going on at this point, Minato?"

"I suggest that before we make any conclusions we should interrogate him properly, and I also suggest we involve a professional from the T & I department. If he truly is a spy then we will need a full mind scan from a Yamanaka."

The Hokage stared back to Minato in contemplation, then started to chew on the end of his pipe.

"Let it be so. I entrust you with this case. Please make the necessary arrangements."

Minato nodded, rose from his chair, and stopped for a moment, staring back to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you never met him before?" Sarutobi looked up from his desk at Minato and blew out the tobacco smoke from his lungs.

"I'm certain. He has a very… unique appearance. I'm not so old as to become senile just yet." He smiled then looked at Minato questioningly.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because when he first saw you... His reaction… You know what I mean."

"I do… But no. I have never met him before."

Minato nodded and bowed, then left the Hokage alone within his enormous battle with the bureaucracy.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the closed door with curiosity for a few minutes. The sudden appearance of the boy worried him, and he was also worried about Minato. After returning from his last mission, he was very depressed. _'I should give him a break after this boy's case is cleared.'_ A knock halted his troubled thoughts of the blonds.

"Come in." A woman pushed the door open with her elbow and Sarutobi's face fell.

"Hokage-sama, we received the last of the missing mission reports from west, and also received the official invitation for today's council meeting. Here are the necessary documents for it. "

Sarutobi let out a sigh and started to eye the new tower of paper in from of him. "Then let the battle begin…" he murmured to himself as the woman left the room with an apologetic look.

* * *

Minato entered the base of the Interrogation & Torture department somewhere in Konoha to arrange everything for the blond boy. He knocked on the door and entered as he received permission from the inside of the office. A middle-aged man dressed in black looked up from the table and greeted the young shinobi.

"Ah Minato-san. It's good to see you again. It's been ages since we last met." Minato sent an apologetic smile at the man.

"It's good to see you too. I was on the battlefields for the last month."

"Yes, I heard. What brings you here?"

"I have a job for you. We found a boy last week at one of our training fields, but I'm sure you already know about this." The black-clad man just nodded.

"He is awake and I would like to request a proper interrogation and full mind screen."

"A full one? For a teenager? Why, you don't trust in our professional interrogators?"

"He claims to have amnesia."

"Oh, so another spy."

"We don't know yet, but yes, based on our experience in the last few years he seems to be. I would like to start it as soon as possible before he has the chance to gather any information than he already has. His condition is stable, almost completely healed despite some minor scratches, so it can be done in the department."

"I'll inform my team, then."

"Thank you. I'll bring him in myself in twenty minutes." Minato bowed courteously before leaving the room to make the necessary arrangements for the transfer.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later saw him standing yet again next to the young blond boy's bead.

"Hello again," Minato greeted the boy, who gave a nervous look to him with a small smile.

"Ah, hi."

"I talked with the medics. They said that, other than some minor scratches, you are perfectly healed. You will be moved to another place for proper questioning. After we finish there I will attempt to answer any questions you may have." The boy was nervous, but didn't show any sign of suspicious behavior. He nodded and looked at the two masked people behind Minato.

"So what happens now?" the boy asked. Minato smiled.

"I'll remove the shackles, but I won't undo your seals." The boy nodded again nervously and stayed still while they removed the leather shackles from his arms and ankles. The two guards helped him to stand up, lifting him from his underarms. Minato nodded to the two ANBU, and they disappeared with the boy in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

When he arrived at the Interrogation department, the young boy found himself sitting in a chair in the middle of a small room with pale white walls, dressed in slacks and T-shirt, his ankles and wrists secured again to the chair. The only furniture visible was a desk and another chair opposite him. A large mirror made up most of one wall. The boy stared at the desk. He somehow knew he was being watched. He closed his eyes. The two masked men stood outside the door. He looked up at the mirror and tilted his head to the right. He knew there were two more men watching him from behind the mirror. One of them was the blond who spoke with him at the hospital, but he couldn't recognize the other one. The blond was on the right side. _'That's not so bad. Now I just need to regain my memory so I can know how the hell I can do all this.'_

Minato stared back into the boy's blue eyes in disbelief. _'He's staring right into my eyes. He shouldn't be able to tell where I am from behind the mirror!'_ He stepped a little bit to the right, and, as he suspected, the young boys eyes followed his movement instantly. _'How the hell is he doing that without any chakra?'_ He shared a curious look with his comrade.

"Well, this is impressive. We can confirm that he has enormous sensing ability without any doubt."

Minato just nodded to the man beside him. The boy's eyes then wandered from him to fix onto his comrade's.

"Very impressive indeed… This room was built to conceal our chakra, scent, and sound. We should be totally isolated, but he can still sense our presence." Minato nodded again and turned to his comrade.

"Makoto-san, let's begin." The two men left the room and entered their prisoner's hold. Makoto sat down in the empty chair, while Minato leaned against the wall behind him, arms folded in front of his chest and nodding to the boy, who gave him a small, nervous smile in exchange.

"If you stay calm and answer honestly, there's no need to be nervous. I'm Kawa Makoto, and the man behind me is Namikaze Minato, if you don't know it already." The boy nodded and give one more nervous smile to Makoto.

"We haven't had the opportunity to properly introduce ourselves at the hospital. "

"Well then, it's your turn to introduce yourself to us. Who are you and where are you from?" The boy looked down to the table, and then shook his head.

"As I said to Namikaze-san, I don't remember a thing. My first memory was waking up in the hospital and him talking to me." He shook his head again and looked back to Makoto.

"I really want to remember, and I really want to help to you. Believe me, this is as frustrating to me as it is to you. I don't have any intentions of harming anyone. I don't even know where am I, what happened to me, or how the hell I got here."

The last part of his sentence was filled with frustration. He was nervous. He still didn't know a thing. Nobody told him where he was, or why was he in a hospital and why they handled him as if he was a criminal. His neck still stung a little, but other than that, he felt okay physically. The blond named Minato promised that he would get answers after they finished and he really wanted those answers. He was frustrated, confused, tired and hungry as all hell. _'I could eat anything right now, doesn't matter what it is. Even if it was worm soup with toad legs.'_

Makoto continued to ask the blond random questions about his past. Where he was from, what his intentions are in the village, where he received the wound on his neck, when he born. He told him random names but none of them sounded familiar. The blond couldn't answer any of them. He tried every method in his repertoire to get any kind of suspicious answer, but the boy seemed to be honest. No sign of a lie, no spike in his chakra flow, no sweating, no shaking, not even a tense muscle.

After an hour of questioning the boys eyes snapped to the door behind Makoto, who in turn stopped the process to look back to Minato, who just shrugged. In that moment, a short knock broke the silence in the room and a tall man with long dark blond hair tied in a waist-long ponytail that swung at his back entered. The two men in the room shared a surprised look: the boy knew that someone was coming, and they sensed nothing. They were veteran shinobi, and Minato himself couldn't tell that Inoichi was approaching despite also having remarkable detection skills._ 'How the hell could this boy sense my comrade's approach? This room concealed his presence perfectly. I couldn't detect a single presence of Inoichi's chakra, scent or footsteps.'_ Minato shook his head and sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today.

"Minato-san, Makoto-san." The man give a short bow to them.

"We just finished. Any question in advance about what we're looking for?" asked Minato as he shook away the surprised look from his face.

"No, I have a pretty clear idea." Minato nodded and turned to the boy.

"This man is Yamanaka Inoichi. He's here to help you regain your memory and help us to clear up who are you."

Inoichi frowned at that statement. He was actually here to help them decide whether or not that boy was a spy that intended to do any harm to the village, to decide the boy's fate of whether or not he lives or dies: His judge, jury, and executioner, to put it bluntly. _'He is far too young.'_ The boy gave him a small smile and a nod. His eyes were full of the hope that Inoichi was doubtful he could give him. _'Damn, this is the part I loathe. After the war I'm going to retire and find a more civil job… Maybe I'll open a small shop.'_ He turned to Minato, who gave him a small nod as an approval to start. Inoichi stepped beside the boy, and put one of his hands on his forehead.

"Now, relax. This will only be painful if you resist."

The boy nodded nervously as Inoichi closed his eyes and mimicked him, while his interrogator frowned in concentration as he attempted to reach the boy's consciousness. The blond relaxed himself and resisted his natural urge to do anything to hinder him while he entered his mind.

Inoichi felt the boys determination to lend him access to his memories. It was easier than usual. Most of the people placed under his hand tended to resist and fight hard to counter his jutsu. Well, not that those minor attempts hindered him, there was no way they could resist a veteran interrogator. Being allowed to enter someone's mind, however, felt unfamiliar.

He stepped through a long passage lined with shelves slumping under the enormous quantity of scrolls and books. This was the boy's general knowledge, gathered since the time of his birth. He stepped to one of the shelves full of scrolls and picked a few at random, reading the titles.

"'**Calligraphy**,' '**Basic Fire Ninjutsu**,' '**Advanced Tiger Style Taijutsu**,' '**Mixing Colors**,' '**Itching Powder**...' _'What?'_ He frowned and moved to the next shelf to examine some more. "'**War Tactics**,' '**Advanced Stealth**,' '**Location of Female Bath Houses**...'" Inoichi found himself very confused. The boy's general knowledge was a huge, chaotic mess of subjects. Most people's minds separate various banks of knowledge and categorize it by subject. He moved to the third shelf, where he found '**Upper-Level Elemental Chakra Manipulation**,' '**Advanced Wind Element Ninjutsu**,' '**Upper-Level Kinjutsu**,' '**Animal Taming and Care**' and something that he had never heard of before. He shook his head and moved toward the end of the passage, where he arrived at the symbolic door of the boy's consciousness unopposed. He opened it, bracing himself for what may come.

He had to shut his eyes and shield them with his hands as the scene reached his non existing body. It was bright. Too bright, and his vision still burned from the overwhelming light that had engulfed his irises. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision, but he still had to rest a minute to compose himself. He stepped over the doorstep and inside the room, turning around only to see…

Nothing. Nothingness all around. He turned to the door and looked around behind it, but the only thing he could see was more of the void. White. White everywhere. White sky, and pure white sand as it slowly circled on the ground by a light breeze. Which drew small dunes and abstract lines and curves into the soft sand, not in an aggressive way, but just as one would in a zen garden. It was so peaceful. He felt that he could stay here forever, to escape his problems, away from the real word. He took a deep breath and sniffed at the air. He could smell lilies(1). This thought brought a small smile to his face. Strange. Usually when he was in someone else's mind, he felt very uncomfortable. He always felt like he was an intruder, but this place was different.

He looked around one more time, when his eye caught something jutting out from under the white sand. He tilted his head to the side as he studied it. It looked like paper, or a document, only one of its corners visible. He turned towards it, and slowly started walking in the sand. He enjoyed it as he felt it slowly flow under his foot. Inoichi stopped at the paper and leaned down to pick it up. It was a photo. An old, wrinkled photo of two girls behind a counter. Maybe at a restaurant. They were smiling. The one with pink hair ducked and sneaked behind the blond's head while they took the shot. Inoichi smiled at this pleasant scene and stroked the surface of the photo where the blond girl was. Suddenly, he heard muffle voices behind him. He immediately spun around on his heels and prepared to launch an attack subconsciously. He had forgotten that his body was only a projection, and as such was safe.

The young blond girl from the picture lay in front of him, her eyes closed, but nothing out of the ordinary. No wounds, no blood; she was just sleeping. The pink-haired girl knelt next to her, appearing to be fighting for her friend's life. Her hands glowed green, sweat pouring from her forehead. The pink-haired girl frowned and gritted her teeth in concentration, while tears gathered in her eyelashes.

"Sakura…," a soft, tender voice said from behind him, but before he could turn towards it's source, a person stepped through him like a shadow, a ghost without a body. Inoichi felt the blood freeze in his non-existent veins as the person stepped out from his non-existent body. The hair on his neck started to rise and goosebumps covered him from head to toe. He could see the blond boy again, clad in a long overcoat with a familiar black flame pattern at the bottom. Inoichi stepped aside to see the scene from a better perspective.

The boy stopped behind the pink haired girl and knelt down to cover her hands with his own.

"Sakura. Please. Let her go…" The young kunoichi didn't answer, only shook her head.

"Please. You know that you can't help her anymore."

The pink haired girl squeezed his hand as the green aura faded from hers. They didn't speak, the boy just hugged her tightly for several minutes before he dared to open his mouth again.

"Please Sakura-chan, don't go after them. I don't want to lose you too. You wouldn't stand a chance against that monster, no matter how strong you become. Just please, believe in me and I'll handle everything."

They stayed in silence for another minute before the boy spoke again.

"Tomorrow it will be over. I promise." Only fiery determination was shown in the azure eyes of the young boy.

"And I don't go back on my word. That is my nindo. You can trust me. You know that, don't you?" The girl just nodded.

"I told you, that I'll break the cycle of hatred. I'll break this curse. If there is such a thing as peace I'll find it. Believe in me. This is my legacy that they left for me."

The girl didn't reply. Instead, a small sob escaped from her mouth as she leaned nearer to the boy's chest for comfort.

"You were always like this, you idiot… You don't have to do everything alone. We're here too. You don't owe the world anything… Don't bear such a burden alone."

The mixture of the boy's emotions hit Inoichi's mind. Hatred, rage, sadness, a strong determination to save everyone, to change the world. He never felt anything quite like it before. The apparition faded away and he was alone again in the white desert. He looked down to his hand and watched as the picture disintegrated, the breeze carrying the fragments away to assimilate with the white sand. Inoichi was always a professional, a veteran shinobi, and during his tasks he always hardened his mind and heart, never letting the captive's emotions overwhelm him. But when he witnessed the death of the blond girl, his heart broke apart for reasons unknown to him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and emotions, then turned around to take one last look at the landscape before stepping out from the boy's mindscape.

Inoichi looked down at the heavily panting boy, watching as his head fell down to his chest, then he nodded to his comrades.

"We'll let you rest a little, then we can speak again," Minato said, while the boy next to Inoichi nodded without looking up, trying to catch his breath. His hair shrouded his eyes as his head hung to his chest.

The three men marched out from the interrogation room to occupy the room on the reverse side of the mirror.

"So, what did you find out inside?" asked Minato, turning to Inoichi.

"The boy is telling the truth. He remembers nothing. His full mindscape was an empty desert. I only found one memory fragment. He has a very great, but chaotic cache of general knowledge." Inoichi frowned as he remembered the blond girl and the boy's determination to change the world. He shook his head and continued.

"I don't think he is a spy. Or at least, not anymore."

"What was that memory about?" Inoichi turned to Makoto and frowned again.

"It's easier to show you. May I?" The two shinobi nodded, and Inoichi placed his hands to their forehead.

"I hate this part, this feeling…" Makoto rolled his shoulders, while Minato's eyes widened as the memories flooded into his mind.

"It's not my cup of tea either, but it's faster than it is to transfer it to the projector room and then come back."

"I think we can make our conclusion now. He isn't a spy. But a full surveillance is necessary while he is in the village," Minato stated to the shinobis, who nodded in agreement.

"I'm going back. I promised I'd give him some answers when we were finished. Please give your report to the Hokage as soon as it is possible. I'll make mine when I finish up here. Makoto, you'll have to arrange a surveillance room for him here while we come up with a better solution. This way you can check on him from time to time to see if he regains any more of his memory." Makoto nodded to them as a farewell and left the room.

Inoichi's eyes wandered back to the boy behind the glass and he noted to himself surprisingly that the boy was staring into his eyes. He gave a questioning look to Minato, but he shook his head.

"Don't ask. I don't know how he's doing it." Minato chuckled and shook his head again. "Interesting kid, isn't he?"

"Indeed."

Minato left the room and entered the interrogation room once more.

"Okay. It seems that you're clear." Minato smiled at him and earned a smile from the boy.

"Can I ask now?"

"Yes. Feel free, but first I'll untie you and remove of some of these seals." The boy nodded and let Minato remove the leather shackles and deactivate the remaining paralysis seals.

"Who I am?" the boy asked while he massaged his now aching wrists. The tingling sensation had returned when the seals were removed.

"This is a question whereupon I also haven't got an answer. We don't know yet. Inoichi-san examined your memories, but he found nothing other than the basic knowledge we already know from you." The boy nodded in understanding but wore a disappointed look on his face. '_I really hoped to gather something from this mind reading thing… It was a pain in the ass, like someone continuously freezing and heating places in my brain.'_

"Where am I?" Minato occupied his last position at the wall, leaning against it with his hands resting in the pockets of his blue slacks.

"You are in the heart of Fire Country in Konohagakure no Sato. You appeared a week ago in one of our training grounds. You made quite a big impact, literally as well as figuratively. My Genin team found you in the middle of a crater. You were badly wounded and could have died on the field if one of my team members hadn't given you immediate medical care."

The boy didn't speak. He tried to process the new information and force his brain to remember.

"What about my memory loss? Did they find anything?" Minato shook his head.

"No, your head is completely fine. They found no sign of trauma, or anything that would cause it."

"Why was I handled like a criminal?"

"This is because of two things. One: We are in the middle of a war. We've captured several spies in the past that have claimed to have amnesia. "

"Oh. Well, I can't say I blame you then… What's the other thing?"

"When you woke up yesterday…" The boy gave a confused look to him.

"You knocked out five highly trained shinobi and two medics while attempting to dispel a non-existent genjutsu."

The boy stared down at his hands in shame, not daring to look back at Minato.

"I'm sorry… I really didn't mean to hurt anybody." Minato stared at the boy and smiled at him.

"They're okay now. Nothing that a long nap can't help."

The boy shook his head and stared at Minato in the mirror.

"What will happened to me?"

"You will have a room set up in here and you will be under surveillance until we find another solution. If you show no sign of suspicion, you can either stay in Konoha or you can leave freely. It will be your decision."

The boy nodded and once again looked at his hands on the table. Minato stared at him in wonder, before he asked, "Do you know what it means to be a shinobi associated with a village?"

The boy gave him a confused look and nodded. His general knowledge wasn't affected by his memory loss. He knew where Konoha is, what a genjutsu was, but he still couldn't conjure up any real memories of himself, his family, his childhood, or when or where he was born.

"You knew that we were on the other side of the mirror, didn't you?" The boy gave a foxy smirk to Minato.

"Well, that was pretty obvious." Minato shook his head.

"I mean you knew where were we. You know exactly how to pinpoint us, and also that Inoichi-san was approaching the room. How?"

The boy shrugged before he answered, "I don't know. I just... knew." He looked up to the mirror again and gave a smaller smile to Minato. "You know, Inoichi-san is still there." The mirror vibrated suddenly, as if someone on the other side had slammed their head into it in surprise. Minato smiled and beckoned a hand to the mirror. A minute later, Inoichi entered the room, sporting a brand new welt on his forehead.

"We made the arrangements. He can sleep on the first floor. The ANBU will escort him." Minato nodded and turned to the boy.

"I think that's enough for now. I'll let you get some rest."

The boy nodded and smiled to Minato.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but do you think you can remove these other seals?" Minato shook his head.

"Sorry, they will temporarily stay. Just a precaution." The boy nodded and began to rise from his chair when his stomach give a loud lurch. Minato chuckled and gave the boy a small smile. The boy chuckled back and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I think we can help with that."

"Yeah, I'm starving." He smiled again. "Thank you again. Will we meet in the future?"

"That is more than likely," he replied with a smile.

Two ANBU guards appeared beside the boy, but he didn't even flinch. Based on previous experience, he probably already knew they were nearby. He gave a last smile to Minato before they disappeared from the room. Inoichi stepped beside Minato and looked to the place where they had vanished.

"You know Minato, I think I like this boy."

"Yeah. Me too… Me too."

* * *

Minato stepped into the Hokage's office ten minutes after he left the boy alone with his meal. Sarutobi nodded to him in greeting and waved his hand towards the chair.

"Am I right that you are finished with our little guest?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. It seems that my intuition was correct, he isn't a spy nor is he a threat to the village. He truly has amnesia, however his general knowledge is unaffected. He knows about the countries, particularly the shinobi aspect, but his personal memories were all but eradicated, save one. A painful one." Minato smirked. "It seems that our little guest has a very honorable goal."

"What do you mean by that, Minato?"

"In his memory, he stated to a girl that he will 'break the cycle of hatred and bring peace to the world.'"

"That's quite an ambitious goal for a teenager, isn't it?" Minato chuckled.

"I left him at the I&T department. They put him into one of the surveillance rooms. I also removed the paralysis seals, but I left the chakra binding seal on him as a precaution. He is also under twenty-four hour observation by an ANBU."

"Only one? I seem to recall him knocking out four of our best at the hospital."

"It will be okay as long as the seal remains untouched, and I doubt that he can do anything with that. It's my own creation, not a standard one as before." Sarutobi nodded in agreement.

"The boy has an enormous bank of general knowledge. However, it's strewn about quite chaotically. He also demonstrated a remarkable detection ability. He knew we were in the monitoring room."

"Everybody knows that there's always someone behind the mirror," muttered Sarutobi.

"No, I mean he knew exactly where we were within the room. He looked into my eyes and when I moved, he followed my movement." Sarutobi gave a surprised look and shook his head.

"I see… So we have a shinobi with a Kage level chakra system, remarkable sensing skills, and amnesia-"

"Who knows the recipe for itching powder and the location of the nearest all-female bath house," chuckled Minato.

"I don't want to know about that. The last thing this village needs is a fusion of Jiraiya and Kushina running around." Sarutobi shook his head while Minato chuckled again at the statement. Sarutobi sigh and continued.

"It's very unfortunate that, because of his memory loss, he remains a great threat to the village. What if he regains his memory only to find that he is, in fact, a spy from an enemy village? I don't think we can allow this risk to go unchecked. The war council will urge the execution of the boy."

"I know, but… But if he were to defect to Konoha, we gain a strong ally… If we execute him now, that would make us merciless killers. His only crime as of now is that he knocked out seven people due to a misunderstanding. Besides… I like the boy," Minato smiled.

"Hm..." Sarutobi replied, chewing his pipe in thought. "I'll try to keep the boy's case under wraps, but I don't know how long we'll be able to play this game."

"If the boy becomes a shinobi of Konoha, the council will have no influence in his case."

"'If' is the key word here…" Sarutobi stated doubtfully. "He will be your responsibility. If he does anything suspicious you will report it immediately. I trust in your intuition, and in you. And yes, he would be a very powerful ally indeed." Minato nodded and a thick silence fell between the men briefly.

"Minato, I want you to take a break. You haven't been yourself since you returned from your last mission in Iwa."

"I'm okay. I can handle it." Sarutobi shook his head and looked at him purposefully.

"No, you can't. Nobody can go this long without a break. Not even you."

"I told you, I'm fine. My comrades need me on the battlefield!," Minato yelled, but immediately regretted it. _'I lost my temper with the Hokage, of all people. Jiraiya's gonna kill me when he finds out…"_ He shook his head and realized that he had stood up during his outburst. When he sat down again the Hokage give him a sad smile.

"I don't want to risk the loss or mental condition of one of my best shinobi. Of my good friend. " Minato give him a small smile as an answer. _'He's right. There's no point in arguing further.'_

"How long am I off duty?"

"Until I deem is necessary, but I advise you at least three weeks. After that, we can talk about your service again." Minato nodded.

"You know, you seem to be much better after your talk with the brat. Other than your recent outburst, that is." Minato smiled back at him.

"Yes, he is very…interesting. I think the kid's starting to grow on me."

"Be careful not to get too close. He could be dangerous."

Minato give him a confused look, before he answered with a smirk, "So can I." He then departed the room through the open window, leaving the Hokage with his thoughts.

Sarutobi let out a deep sigh and looked at a file to his left. 'I think I could use a break myself.'

* * *

**Author's note:**

And to answear a question: No, won't be any pairings. You could only read about Minato and Kushina's romantic releationship.

(1): Lily, Lillium symbolize hope, faith, birth, purity, renewal, promise. I don't know this when I chose that scent. I just love it, but when I checked the meaning today I thought that I should play lottery. It just absolutely fitting for Naruto. What a confidence. ( )


	3. Chapter 3 – First Steps Through the Door

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime **( u/947576/), without him, I am lost.

**Original upload date: 02/11/2012**

**Last update: none**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 3. – First Steps Through the Door**

* * *

Minato was lying in his bed with his arms crossed behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. He had been trying to sleep for the past hour, but his wandering thoughts restrained him from it. He turned his head to the side to face the slim woman next to him. Her chest moved up and down in the rhythm of her breathing. Her long, ruby red hair flowed around her form and gave a perfect frame to her face's delicate features. He reached out his hand and gently stroked a tuft of hair away from her face. The young woman mumbled something incoherent and moved a little in her sleep, allowing another tuft of hair to replace the previous one. Minato smiled and didn't bother himself to brush it away, instead turning toward the ceiling again.

His thoughts wandered to the blond boy. Clashing feelings met in his mind as he thought over the events. When the boy first appeared, bloody and wounded, he knew he would cause a lot of trouble. The boy was an enigma.

First of all, none of the security seals sensed his appearance. The seals could be circumvented if someone were to reduce his chakra levels to near depletion, but that was just unimaginable. Nobody could suppress his chakra to that extreme, it was impossible. Every living thing radiated a minimal amount, regardless of how hard someone tried and how skilled and well trained they were. Only dead bodies were completely free of chakra, and the boy was clearly anything but. Underground or aerial entry were also unrealistic possibilities, the seals surrounding the village were like an invisible barrier and every intruder would be sensed. It could be a space-time ninjutsu, but again, that was also very unrealistic. With that kind of life threatening injury it was impossible for anyone to perform a top-ranked jutsu like that. And the seals would also trigger his arrival. However, if someone else had performed the jutsu on him… that seemed the most believable scenario.

When he passed the danger of death, he showed remarkable healing abilities. This was not something new, though it was very rare since the destruction of Whirlpool country and the Uzumaki clan.

The ANBU checked his belongings, but they found nothing significant, other than a scroll and notes on seals in his pouch. He didn't have a hitai-ate, or perhaps he lost it before his arrival. That seemed likely, seeing his clothes were also damaged. They couldn't find any clan symbols on what was left of the fabric.

Minato already checked the scroll, and the seal notes. The notes were safe: simple exploding tags modified with increased or decreased potency. This was why they hadn't recognized them immediately. It was fairly uncommon practice. For him, a simple once-over of them was enough. The only really interesting thing in his belongings was the sole scroll, and it annoyed him to no end. He couldn't open it. He was one of the rare seal masters, but he couldn't handle a teenager's seal. The closing seal was a combination: the opener had to have a special type of chakra, combined with blood identification, and three other specific methods of which he was still unclear. The alluding symbols were just a big mess of gibberish. _'I have to show it to sensei when he comes back.'_

When the boy had first woken up confused and disorientated speaking about a genjutsu, that gave a small comfort to everyone's minds. It's not without precedent that a shinobi under the pressure of the war broke and suffered mental damage. There was also a man who had been captured in a high level genjutsu for weeks and he couldn't accept the reality for days. He was paranoid and saw enemies at every turn.

However, the enormous amount chakra he released to fight with the non-existent jutsu wasn't an act of an insane person. He was conscious and he was aware of his surroundings. That amount was enough to release a complete battlefield from a real genjutsu if necessary, and he had done it without breaking a sweat. _'If I had done the same, I'd have passed out from chakra exhaustion.'_

One thing was certain, he repeatedly mentioned a red-eyed person, and genjutsu plus red-eyes pointed only to one option: an Uchiha. Konoha's police force was already informed about the case and ordered to investigate, but they reported that no one from the clan had ever had a confrontation with him. No one admitted to it, anyway, but there wasn't any reason for them to keep it secret. If his opponent wasn't from the clan, that meant there was someone outside the village wandering around with a sharingan. _'We'll have to keep our eyes open…'_

'_He recognized me and Sarutobi, but that isn't really a big thing. After all, Sarutobi is the Hokage, and I'm in every single bingo book. The kid's a shinobi and I'm certain he could have seen our pictures in a lot of places. What bothers me is the emotions behind those blue eyes… What I saw and what Sarutobi mentioned before… It just doesn't make any sense. Sadness, sorrow, as if he saw the ghost of a loved one… How could somebody emit such emotion toward someone he doesn't know? And those eyes, full of shame in the end. He doesn't even have the courage to look into my eyes, but not because of fear. He wasn't frightened. He spoke to me casually and he even lectured me. When I face with an enemy, I know what I'll find in their eyes when they recognize me. Fear, panic, but not shame. None of the previous expressions he showed._

'_If I were captured in enemy territory, I'm sure I wouldn't feel what Sarutobi told me the boy felt. Respect… okay, maybe. One should always respect their enemy, especially a powerful one, but I'm certain that hope and relief would be the furthest from my mind if I found myself face to face with any of the Kages._

_'And I'd absolutely never call any of them "jiji."'_

Minato shivered at the thought of what the Tsuchikage would do to him if he called him "jiji." He shook his head to banish the unpleasant thought about his bloody death and tried to calm his mind.

His panic attack in the end was reasonable, but it's cause wasn't. The root cause wasn't because he faced with strong opponents, it was because he realized that he really wasn't under a genjutsu. '_The real question is, what had happened to the boy that he couldn't accept the fact that this is reality?'_ He let out a soft sigh and looked at the ruby-haired woman next to him.

Minato already accepted the boy's chakra sensing skills. Even if it was inhuman, it's not something to be considered a threat, but a great advantage on the battlefield. After he woke up the second time, he acted as he should: a confused teenager.

Inoichi gathered some very interesting information during the time he was in his mind. The basic knowledge that he had had also matched up with a certain seasoned shinobi's. _'B__ut come on… Itching powder…?' _

Minato's thoughts moved to the memory fragment that Inoichi had shown them, to the words the boy used during that memory. His voice echoed inside his mind. _'__I'll break the cycle of hatred. I'll break the curse. If there is such a thing as peace, I'll find it. Believe in me. This is the legacy that they left for me.'_ This gave him a very uneasy feeling. The boy had a very mysterious aura… He wanted to believe in him. Those four sentences convinced him that the boy didn't mean harm to the village. No spy would choose a goal as noble as that. It was very strange. He met the boy only half a day ago, but still…

Minato turned over and crossed his arms beneath his head to watch the ceiling again.

The evidence pointed to a fight. His injuries, his torn clothes, the chakra exhaustion. Someone tried to get rid of the blond, and he was almost successful. Someone used a space-time ninjustu on him that transferred the boy to Konoha, perhaps to get rid of the body, and that someone was an Uchiha.

'_I think I'll give the kid a visit tomorrow.' _He smiled and turned to his partner to hug her to him and finally get some sleep._ 'I'm drained. I can't even keep my eyes open,' _he thought as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the woman, who moved a little when she felt the soft touch of his body. Minato smiled again with closed eyes, but stayed still so as not to disturb her dream.

A snore left the woman and Minato's eyes flung open._ 'I think this is going to be a long night...' _He sighed, cursed to himself silently, and closed his eyes again, attempting to block out the irritating noise from his mind.

* * *

Minato was staring at the teenage boy in front of him as he almost inhaled his fifth cup of instant ramen for breakfast, while he himself held his second cup of coffee. He had another long night and woke up before the alarm to hand in his full report to the Hokage about the last three days of their guest. The young blond patted his stomach with satisfaction and leaned back in the chair, which gave a plaintive squeak under his weight in response.

"You know, that stuff isn't too healthy. Especially not for breakfast."

"I know, but that was the first thing that came to mind when they asked about breakfast, and it's delicious. "

"You really like that trash, don't you?" Minato answered with a grin.

"Any news about your memory?" The young boy had shaken his head and fixed his eyes onto the floor, counting the tiles under him.

"Nope, nothing. I thought that maybe I'd dream about my life, but I just blacked out again." Minato smiled at him and sipped his coffee to make his brain work properly.

"You know…" the boy had started, but then stopped.

"What?" Minato looked at him questioningly.

"You know… maybe I don't want to remember…" His sentence died down to a low voice, almost whispering, while he still stared at the floor beneath him. Minato didn't answer, waiting for him to continue.

"The first night…I mourned for the blond girl… I don't even know who she was… and still… It still hurts." The blond looked up at him with a sad smile on his face.

"I want a new life. If possible, a happy one. I don't want to start it with mourning over people I don't even know…" The blond's voice was now filled with determination, but when he finished, he had looked down again to escape from Minato's eye, while shame flushed through his own.

"It doesn't hurt if I don't remember anything," he whispered in a soft tone.

Minato had been looking at the blond boy for several minutes with a wary face but he said nothing, just moved to a more comfortable position in his chair before he tried to break the blonds dark thoughts.

"We should find a fitting name for you. I hate to refer you as the 'blond boy' or 'our guest' and so on."

"I agree with that, it would be nice if I had a proper one. I really hate it when everyone calls me 'Blondie.' It's annoying…" the blond boy murmured while crossing his arms in front of his chest like an irritated child. Minato had smiled at the childish scene and thought for a moment before he answered.

"What about 'Kane?'"

"'Gold?' No, that isn't much better than 'Blondie,'" the boy muttered and rolled his eyes in displeasure.

"You don't like it? Then how about 'Goldie?'" Minato chuckled.

"Very funny…"

"Anything particular in your mind?"

The boy had thought for a second then shook his head. "Nothing, actually…"

"'Odoroki Toroku?' That would suit you," wondered Minato

"'Azure Surprise?' What a kind of name is that? However… 'Toroku?'" The blond had tried out how it sounds, tapping his chin with his index finger.

"Hm, I like that one." He smiled.

"Then it's a deal, Toroku," smiled Minato. Toroku had given a foxy grin in exchange and maneuvered himself to a more comfortable position.

"Can I go outside?"

"In the future, of course. But not today, I'm afraid." Toroku had given a disappointed look but nodded. They stayed in silence for several minutes before Minato left.

* * *

Toroku knew Konoha was far away from trusting him, but he really hoped that he could explore the village today. He wasn't handling the isolation very well even thought it was only his third day. He was bored to death and thirsty for the outside world. The room was small with a bed in the corner, a desk with two chairs, and a small bathroom connected to it. The room obviously wasn't meant for comfort and entertainment. It was still much better than the hospital room and the horrid smell of illness, blood, and disinfectant. He leaned back on the bed and contemplated his situation, after Minato left his room.

'The first night was a hard one. After the ANBU escorted him to this room, he was completely exhausted. He just collapsed to the bed in his clothes, but after struggling for hours to sleep, he gave up. Though he didn't want to think, that was his only option to kill time. He had turned on his back and crossed his arms beneath his head, watching the pale ceiling while another familiar blond was doing the same on the other side of the village.

He thought about the only memory of his old life he was able to regain, and it unnerved him. He felt sorrow and regret for the blond girl, and he sunk into the abyss, mourning for the young kunoichi. He was sure that she was a ninja, and he was also certain that he himself was also one. During the questioning when Makoto had asked about random things, he knew perfectly what the man was talking about, but without any connecting memory. He knew about ninjutsu, what a chakra release was, how to do it, and so on. But before he had heard the terms, he didn't know about their existence. The information just sort of... popped up. He had this knowledge buried deep in the pit of his mind, lying dormant until he had to access it. Makoto also mentioned various names. Kurama… A picture of an animal jumped into his mind, but he couldn't identify what it was. Maybe a dog...? Perhaps. Uchiha… This name left a bittersweet feeling in his chest. The mixture of hatred and caring. But nothing else. No recollection of a memory, just vague emotion.

When he thought about the pink haired kunoichi his heart swelled with adoration, but in the background of his mind sorrow was already starting to prod. _'Sakura… It is, or was, her name..._' The warm feeling was replaced with sorrowagain._ 'I'm certain she's also dead.'_

As the picture of the dead blond girl flowed again into his mind, he shook his head. He didn't want another painful memory. He didn't want to feel this sorrow ever again. He received a second chance to become a better, and perhaps, happier person.

His own voice echoed into his mind. "_I'll break the cycle of hatred. I'll break this curse. If there is such a thing as peace, I'll find it. Believe in me. This is the legacy that they left for me."_ Those were strong words for a teenager. Those were the words of someone who lived through a hard life. _'I don't know if I'm ready for this burden. I don't know if I want anything to do with it.'_ However, the thought of turning away from it made his heart constrict. _'Legacy…'_ His thoughts flashed through the memory again and stopped at another part. _"I don't go back on my word. That is my nindo." _That statement made his heart ache with determination and pride. It felt pleasant. This was something he should follow. _'Change the word and bring peace… How can I do that…?'_ He closed his eyes and moved to face the wall behind his bed. He was struggling between a new future without memories in a brand new life, or between a future which seemed to only bring him pain and conflict if he regained his memories.

His thoughts moved to what Minato told to him. He could stay and join Konoha, or he could leave freely. _'What will I do if I leave? Where would I go?'_ He closed his eyes as the feeling of weariness engulfed his tired and aching mind and body. His body had relaxed as his mind floated to a satisfying, dreamless sleep.'

Toroku let out a sigh, and to avoid his mind float again to these depressing thoughts, he moved his eyes toward the ceiling until he found his only other entertainment in the small, empty room. A small spider in the corner starting to settle down in Konoha. The base of a spider web was already formed, attached to the surface of the white walls. The blond fixing his azure blue eyes on the small black dot, as it making a perfect spiral from the thin, almost invisible material defining its new home.

* * *

"I'm bored to death…" Despite Minato's more frequent visits, he couldn't occupy himself. He and one of the ANBU guards brought him books, but he missed the outside world and the normal connection with people.

"You're only here for a week, and you already slept through the most of it. Endure it for a little longer," Minato chuckled. _'He really is a perpetual motion device. He can't even sit in the same position for five minutes.'_

"I brought you something that might help you out." Minato had reached into his vest pocket to take out a small book and handed it to Toroku.

"Another book? Look, I don't want to seem ungrateful, but reading just isn't my style."

"It contains brain-teasers. I want you to solve them by this afternoon. I'll come back at three to pick it up, so you have roughly six hours to finish them." The boy raised his right eyebrow to Minato while suspiciously eying the book in his hand.

"Why?"

"It'll keep you occupied," Minato smiled at Toroku, who frowned as he thumbed through the book.

* * *

'_Keep me occupied, my ass…'_ Toroku sulked to himself. When Minato left him alone with the book, he moved onto the bed and was now sitting on it, his legs crossed, staring at the book in his lap. After he had read the first two pages, he knew exactly what this was all about. The book contained tests about several competencies and aspects. _'This is a damn IQ test…' _His mind had been wandering from this irritating thought to his few memories.

Toroku shook his head and turned his attention back to the book in his lap. He had read again the last exercise on the page and let out a sigh. He quickly wrote down his answer and flipped the page. _'I really hate books…'_

* * *

Minato received the book from one of the ANBU that was in charge of Toroku. At one o'clock… he managed to finish it more than two hours before the deadline. He flipped through the pages to check the answers, and found several sketches on the margins. Mostly spirals in the left lower corner. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the sketches as he flipped the pages with his fingers. A moving form animated from the sketches. A whirling spiral with a hole in its left side. It could mean a lot, or it was also possible that it meant nothing in particular. _'Maybe something from his past,'_ Minato noted and opened it again to summarize the answers.

* * *

"So how many?" Toroku asked with a sullen tone in his voice during a morning visit of Minato. It was almost a week since he gave back that dam book to him.

"How many what?"

"You know. My IQ." Minato blinked in surprise at his statement and stared back at the boy.

"It's average." Toroku shot back a skeptical glance but said nothing.

'_Actually, he's much smarter than what he let's on, but he's just too careless and can't concentrate long enough on the same task. He didn't even bother himself to finish the last five pages.'_

"I spoke with the Hokage yesterday." The boy narrowed his eyes and glared back.

"I asked for more freedom for you." Toroku's eyes had widened in his surprise and hopefulness flooded his face.

"He gave permission. You can leave the institution, but only under surveillance."

Toroku's eyes were filled with gratitude and his mouth morphed into the widest grin Minato had ever seen on his face. Minato mirrored him, but maybe a bit more moderately.

"So Toroku, are you just going to sit there, or should we take this outside?" Toroku hopped from his bed and stretched his arms behind his head, still grinning like an idiot.

"Readier than ever, dattebayo!" Minato's eyes narrowed but let it go.

"Then come on, we're heading out."

Toroku enjoyed the feeling of a warm breeze and sunshine on his face, his eyes closed. _'Oh… I was missing this so much.'_ He let out a satisfied sigh and turned to Minato.

"Hey, can we pick up something to eat?"

"You just finished your breakfast… And I doubt that you have any money in your pockets." Toroku had raised his left hand behind his head and nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, yeah. I totally forgot about that. It's okay if we just walk." Minato had given him a smile and waved his hand as a sign to follow him.

They reached a great square filled with people. Toroku had stopped to watch them all as they marched up and down, everyone with their own concern. A man in standard shinobi clothes had jumped down to the ground from a window only to gracefully land nearby. A minute later a woman in casual clothes stepped to the wall of the building and casually walked parallel to the ground a few feet above them, to evade the crowd. Toroku smiled at the scene and continued watching the citizens of Konoha.

He had looked up at the monument of the previous Hokages and tilted his head to the side. He had been staring at them for several minutes before he shook his head in discomfort. _'Something's wrong with them.'_ Minato had stepped beside him and observed curiously.

"These are the mementos of our past leaders."

"I know." Minato looked at the blond with a raised eyebrow, but didn't comment on it.

"I just have a feeling that something is missing from it." Toroku shook his head and gave a last suspicious look at the monument.

"It would look great with some more colors on it." He had given a smirk to Minato, who responded to him with a frown, then turned to continue their walk.

A group of children passed beside Toroku, running, laughing and arguing about what to play and where to go next. One of them had bumped into him from behind and almost pushed him to the ground.

"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going!? You're in the way, moron!" the child stated indignantly while continuously pointing a finger at him. Toroku narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to the boy. Minato watched the scene from the corner of his eyes, but he didn't interrupt. He was curious as to how he would handle the situation.

"You should watch your step and your mouth. You were the one who bumped into me! Apologize. " A soundless glaring contest started between the two boys before it was interrupted by a girl from the running group.

"What's that on your face?"

Toroku had blinked in his surprise and touched his left cheek while he turned toward the girl, only to realize that the boy's whole group was now staring at them alongside the other villagers. He gently stroked a finger along the soft line of one of his whisker marks, while he straightened from his stooped pose to face the girl.

"It looks creepy," stated the naughty boy in front of him.

"You know, your face isn't any better with those marks under your eyes," he stated as he snapped his head back toward the arrogant child.

"This is our clan's symbol, you dumb ass!" Toroku's eyes narrowed again and tilted his head.

"Shrimp."

The boy had narrowed his eyes in response, his muscles tensing as he breathed in a large amount of air in order to launch a barrage of obscenities at the blond. Before the arguing could reach a fever pitch, Minato stepped between them.

"I think it's time for us to go."

"No," Toroku stated in a deliberate, commanding voice. Minato blinked and narrowed his eyes to the blond. _'That's not the response I was expecting.'_

"He was rude and unmannerly. I'm staying until he apologizes." Minato let out a sigh, but before he could say anything Toroku again turned his attention to the boy in front of him.

"Take responsibly for your actions. You bumped into me, and instead of apologizing you insulted me. Learn some manners. If you're from a clan, then you'll become a ninja, and a shinobi can't be irresponsible. If you make a decision there will always be consequences. You can't just simply change it. An irresponsible ninja is reckless and will just end up dying early." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and steadfastly stared into the eyes of the child for a seemingly never-ending minute. Minato was impressed.

"Iaploize." Toroku raised an eyebrow at the baffling mumble of the boy.

"I said I apologize for my behavior. You happy?" The boy had also crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned aside.

Minato's left eyebrow rose until it reached his hitai-ate on his forehead. Indeed… very impressed. Toroku had grinned and ruffled the boy's hair who only responded with annoyed mumbling.

"Apology accepted. Take care shrimp."

He had grinned and turned to Minato to follow their previous rout into the city center. He could hear the boy's displeased voice at his nick name. They were walking side by side for several minutes before Minato looked at him.

"You're good with children." Toroku just shrugged.

"Dunno. I just felt that that was the right thing to do." Minato smiled and nodded.

"Well, I think you deserve a reward after that little scene." Toroku narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Five minutes later they reached a small stand. Wide white stripes hung down from the roof to shroud the inside and to display an advertisement of the place with bright red letters. Ichiraku's Ramen Bar was empty as they approached the four bar stools. They sat down and Toroku give a sad smile to Minato.

"I don't have any money."

"This is a reward. That means it's my treat." This immediately conjured a grin on Toroku's face and he started to examine the menu card in front of him. Ichiraku had turned toward them and gave a wide smile to his customers.

"The usual, Minato-kun?" Minato just nodded as a welcome and also in his approval.

"And for the young man?"

"A miso ramen, please." Ichiraku nodded and turned to prepare the two meals.

Toroku looked around the small place and a familiar warm feeling swelled in his chest. Comfort. He had smiled and turned back to the counter when he heard the distinct rattle of a bowl being placed in front of him. He reached for two sets of chopsticks and handed one to Minato.

"Itadakimasu!" The two blonds stated in unison and they shared a knowing look with each other.

"You know Minato-kun, you two look very alike. He is your relative?" Minato just shook his head and smiled toward Ichiraku.

"No, he's… a guest of Konoha."

"A guest?" Ichiraku raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on the strange statement. For minutes only a satisfied slurping could be heard inside the small stand.

Toroku was now staring down at his ramen and fixing his eyes on the small white and pink fishcake in his bowl. His mind blanked out, the scene filled his eyesight. He slowly started to hover around it with the chopsticks and now he was staring at the whirling fishcake with blank eyes. Something important. He knew deep in his mind that this was connected to something important. He frowned, but his mind stayed completely blank, waiting for something to happen, waiting for a memory to trigger, or an emotion to wash over him like before. But nothing came. He used his chopstick to make the fishcake whirl again, trusting that maybe this time something would happen. He focused his sight at the slowly whirling symbol. It felt very familiar.

Minato had noticed the blond's weird behavior and his blank expression. He had turned toward him and tilted his head to the right to observe, but he found only focused concentration. It felt like he could touch it with his bare hands.

"Naruto." The blond flung his head up and stared at the familiar blue eyes, frowning even more, if that was possible.

"It's naruto. You don't like it?" He shook his head and stared down into his bowl at the slowly spinning fishcake, stopping it's movement with his chopstick.

"It's not that… I don't know. It just.. I don't know really." He had put down his chopsticks and turned around to face the ceiling in his discomfort. Minato frowned.

"You remembered something?" Toroku shook his head again.

"No. It was just a feeling. It just felt like something important and familiar… but nothing happened." They stayed in an awkward silence until Toroku changed the topic.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said to me."

"About what, exactly?"

"About my possibilities. That I can leave." Minato frowned and disappointment rose in his chest. He hardened his expression and continued listening to Toroku.

"But… I don't have anywhere else to go… I don't even know where else I _could_ go." He had looked to Minato and hardened his own expression.

"I want to stay in Konoha." His azure eyes were brimming with determination.

"I want to stay here, and I also want to offer my services to the village as a shinobi. " Minato blinked and answered with a soft smile.

"I understand. I'll inform the Hokage about this. But be aware that the final decision will be in his hands." Toroku nodded, and smiled back, relieved. He wanted to start the day with this, but he couldn't find the proper opportunity to bring it up. The heavy burden about his new future left his shoulders. He struggled with his options throughout the night, but he finally made his decision.

A low, girlish chuckle broke the silence, followed by more low and soft womanly voices weaving their way through the white stripes. "He's really here! Look!" The girls continued to gossip in front of the stand. "Should we go in?"

Minato palmed his forehead while muttering to himself. "Today of all days…"

"Hey Minato-kun, it seems it's time to sound the retreat, isn't it?" Ichiraku grinned at him. "You need a hand?"

Minato just nodded and put the money on the counter while waving to the confused blond to follow him. Ichiraku had opened the back door for them, just in time for Toroku to see three young girls peeping inside the stand between the white stripes.

They had made it to the next street and Toroku gave a suspicious look to Minato, who just gave him an embarrassed smile in return.

"You… Are you some kind of celebrity or something?" asked the young blond, with arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"Sort of…" Minato had put his hand behind his head and scratched the back of his neck in a familiar manner.

"Don't you dare ask anything!" Minato had given an ice cold glare to Toroku, who in turn dismissed the burning question from his mind, but not without shooting a knowing look with foxy grin to the older blond.

"It's time for us to head back," he stated to the teenager with a cold glare.

"Yeah. Our two friends must be pretty bored by now." He nodded his head toward the rooftop where the two ANBU flinched at the statement under the shadows. Minato just shook his head slowly and turned around to escort Toroku back to his room.

* * *

Minato was now heading toward to top story of the Hokage tower. The last rays of the descending sun were painting a cavalcade of warm colors on the building's white walls. The first stars were already starting to appear lazily on the darkening canvas of the night sky.

Instead of the main entrance, he chose a more scenic route in order to avoid a certain… problem. _'I really hate his new secretary. She's a major pain in the ass, and I'm sure she's still there waiting for me.' _He walked toward an open window parallel to the ground. He had peeped inside and grinned as he heard the Sandaime's soft snores. His head rested on his folded arms as he leaned on big tower of most-likely-important documents, using them as a pillow. He chuckled to himself and walked toward his respected leader to wake him up, but he found something very tempting on the desk that broke his concentration. He thought for a moment before letting the grin grow wider on his delicate features.

He moved nearer to his leader and shook his hand in front of his face, to be sure he was still sleeping. His white hair was swayed tenderly by the discreet movement of his hand. _'No reaction.'_ He stepped aside and placed his hand on the top of a white triangle-shaped hat and sneaked one last short peek over his shoulder at the sleeping Sandaime.

He grabbed the hat and slowly put it onto his head, and slinked quietly toward the small mirror to admire his work. Before he could reach his destination a noise had echoed through the silent office as the Hokage cleared his throat to draw his attention. Minato had jumped backward and landed less gracefully than he had intended in the middle of the room, a kunai in his hand ready to attack. The hat tilted down to the side of his face awkwardly. He stared toward the desk and saw Sarutobi leaning on it, his head propped up by his hand. He was observing Minato, tapping his chin with his index finger as if lost in thought, like a father thinking of a proper punishment for his child.

"Hokage-sama." Minato had smiled nervously toward the desk while he straightened himself.

"You know Minato, I think I don't want to comment this…" Minato slowly got rid of the hat by putting it back on the desk as he stepped forward. Sarutobi just shook his head and smiled at him in forgiveness.

"So what brings you here? Not just the fashion thing, I think."

"Sorry, the temptation was too much to ignore." Minato gave a small apologetic smile toward his leader.

"You will have enough time for that later." Minato just shrugged at the comment.

"I came to report that Toroku Odoroki made his decision. He wants to join Konoha's shinobi force." Sarutobi nodded as he prepared his pipe, eventually filling the room with gently floating tobacco smoke.

"So be it. I'll accept, but only with several conditions…" The Sandaime was waiting for Minato's response, but when he received none, he continued after a drag from his pipe.

"I want him to stay under high observation for two weeks, and for the time being he will stay at the I&T department where we can keep more of an eye on him. For the sake of safety, make an appointment with Inoichi once a week until further notice. And… As I already said, you are responsible for him. He's not allowed on the streets of Konoha alone during this period. Also, before being assigned to any groups we need to measure his abilities and his ninja skills properly. Arrange one of the training grounds and a sparring partner for him in one or two days." Minato nodded.

"I'm grateful for your decision. This means we don't need to worry about the council anymore."

"Indeed. They were starting to became very active about the boy's case." Sarutobi had given him a warm smile.

"You seem much better."

"Yeah. That's true. Kushina also stopped complaining about my mood swings."

"I'm aware of your more frequent visits with Toroku. The ANBU always keep me up to date about the boy's status. Actually, they are quite frustrated with him. He always seems to spot them, regardless of what they do," Sarutobi chuckled.

"I'm not surprised, he tramples on their pride continuously. Maybe he's giving them a little push to improve. It's actually really a shame that a teenager can simply play with our elites like that. About the visits… I have to occupy myself during my break, and Toroku is always a guaranteed good time." Minato smiled back.

"He's starting to become more comfortable. He's a healthy teenager in a lot of aspects… Sometimes he acts so like Kushina…"Minato gave a curious look to Sarutobi and tilted his head toward the ceiling.

"Yesterday he loosened the saltshaker's head while we were eating… I had to throw my whole breakfast away…" Minato grunted in irritation and received a chuckle from the Third. Minato had shaken his head and took out a scroll from his vest.

"Anyway, I think that's all for today. Here's my full report with all of the details of my observation. If there isn't anything more, I'd like to head home." Sarutobi nodded and watched as the young shinobi disappeared from his office in the blink of an eye after he bowed to the Third.

Sarutobi had moved to the window to catch the last rays of the setting sun. He had lazily inhaled a puff from his pipe and exhaled it slowly, watching as the smoke drew abstract forms in the air before disappearing. He was unsettled. The thought that Toroku managed to befriend Minato in such a small amount of time troubled him. He still could be an undercover agent waiting to regain his memories and strike, possibly at Minato himself, and going by the new information it was more than feasible that this was a very elaborate and very well prepared assassination.

He had slowly turned to his desk to pull open a drawer and retrieve its contents. He flipped open the now bulky file, fixing his eyes on the first page. He couldn't hide its contents for long, he had to tell Minato. _'I have only two more weeks to tell Minato everything, but I honestly dread its coming.'_ He let out a disturbed sigh and moved back to the window to admire the full moon in the now inky black sky.

* * *

**Author's note:**

This is a lighter chapter than the previous one. Also because I want to manipulate your thoughts. He is now calmed down, bored and his old personality starting to come back to the surface after the first shocks.

About Naruto's new name: I used a dictionary, so if you spot anything unreasonable let me know.


	4. Chapter 4 – Fight to Go Further

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime **( u/947576/), without him, I am lost.

**Original Upload date: 19/11/2012**

**Last update: 21/01/2013  
**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 4. – Fight to Go Further**

* * *

Toroku was in ecstasy. He grinned like an idiot while sitting on the bed, not bothering to pay attention to the still speaking Minato. He was getting out of here, and that was the only thing that mattered now. He hated this isolation. He wanted to go outside, he wanted to just roam the streets, and he wanted to start building his new life.

"Toroku, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, sure."

"Then what was the last thing I said?"

"Something about extra conditions and supervision." Toroku had scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and Minato let out a sigh in his irritation. _'I can't believe he's doing this…'_

"I told you, that besides the approval, there are conditions, and they are important, so I would really appreciate your attention."

"Sorry. I'm listening now." Toroku gave him an apologetic look.

"To become a shinobi, we first have to survey your skills in order to seat you in one of our ranks. We already saw some of your skills, but those don't even scratched the surface, I think. You will participate in a sparring match tomorrow. Do that, and in time you will be assigned to one of the teams."

"Will I fight with you?" Minato didn't answer, only smiled at him.

"You know, actually I don't think I really thought this through. I mean, the knowledge is inside me I know, but I don't know how to push it to the surface. I'll be beaten into the ground."

"This is why you'll do it tomorrow."

"Why? What about today?"

"We will be going to the training grounds, to test your basic knowledge a little and to gain some experience on how you can tap that knowledge during action. I want a proper assessment, and I'm afraid if you go there in this state tomorrow, you will be beaten into the ground for sure."

"Besides, Inoichi will also be making a check-up on the state of your memories today, and will be doing so every weekend until the Hokage deems necessary." Toroku's expression saddened and he looked down to start playing with a wrinkle in the sheet.

"He doesn't trust me, does he?"

"I think this is understandable. You appeared from nowhere under more than suspicious circumstances."

"And you?" Toroku looked up to face with the familiar blue eyes of Minato.

"Do you trust me?"

"What I think isn't important…"

Minato looked back at the blond without any expression on his face. However, Toroku was an awful actor. His face mirrored his emotions without hesitation. Disappointment and a small amount of betrayal flashed through his face, but in the background he also saw that he understood his own situation more than he let on.

"I see…"

"Come on. Inoichi is waiting."

Five minutes later they entered the familiar interrogation room with the pale white walls and find Inoichi leaning against the wall playing with the ring on his finger.

"Sorry for the late arrival."

"It's okay, I also just arrived."

"Hello Inoichi Ojisan!" Toroku waved a hand toward the man who just raised an eyebrow at the title.

"You seem more energetic than the last time we met…" The young boy answered with a foxy wide grin. The Yamanaka waved his hand toward the chair in front of him and Toroku sat down without a word, closing his eyes.

"You can start anytime."

Inoichi nodded and placed his hand on the teenagers forehead who rolled his shoulders at the uneasy feeling as he entered into his mind.

The seasoned shinobi had went through the familiar passage stuffed with books and scrolls to enter the symbolic door to his memories, now more prepared for the blinding white scene. He tilted his head to the side as he looked over the calming white desert again. As he looked over his own shoulder to get a full look around himself, he spotted a long table, filled with files, sorted by date with some small leaflets and markers for the most important ones. These are the memories of this past week. Not too much, for a week, but it is understandable. Toroku had spent that period almost entirely in his room, mostly in isolation without any companion or entertainment.

As Inoichi stepped back to observe the files on the table, he noticed something from the corner of his eyes. Something seems different. He moved his head around once more on the pleasant landscape and he realized only minutes after his first step the obvious difference. The white sky become bluer, with thin clouds floating lazily within it, which made the boy's mindscape more peaceful and more natural, if that was possible. The tall blond shinobi shook his head in irritation. _'How the hell could I have missed something like that?' _With slow steps in the fine sand he reached the table and the files, randomly choosing one and flipping through the pages for a quick check.

'_I dreamed about the blond girl again… I really wish I know her name, at least then I would be able to finally tell a proper prayer for her soul.'_

'_Today I was allowed to visit the village for the first time. It was fantastic. The plethora and cavalcade of people, the crowd and the continuous bustle. I'm really missing it. But I was finally able to tell my decision to Minato…"_

Inoichi had closed the file and placed it back to its origin, and let out a small sigh while he tried to luxuriate every moment in this place, before he had to leave. As he sniffed the air, he recognized again the familiar scent of lilies. He turned around slowly for one last time to memorize every little detail of this dreamland, and sniffed once more the calming scent in the hope that it would last until he headed home. The blond let out a final sigh and left the boy's mind to return to his own consciousness.

Toroku was sitting, breathing heavily, but it wasn't as bad as the first time. When he managed to catch his breath, he looked up to Inoichi with curious eyes, but only received a slow shake of his head.

"I found only the past week's memories. Nothing new appeared." Toroku just nodded, waiting patiently in front of the wondering eyes the shinobi until he finally spoke.

"You like lilies?" Inoichi asked curiously.

"Huh?" The young teenager answered back with the perfect mask of confusion when the odd and out of place question reached his ear.

"You mean the flower?" He thought, tapping his cheek with a wondering face after the shock of the strange question wore off.

"I don't know. They have a nice smell, so I guess so."

Inoichi just nodded and gave him a small smile before he left the room without any proper answer, waving a quick goodbye to Minato, who looked after him curiously. Toroku gave a confused look at the door where he last saw the swinging blond locks, but he only shrugged and turned to his companion.

"Hey, Minato."

"Yes?"

"Just wondering, if we're going to the training grounds, shouldn't you remove the remaining seals from me? The ones that hold back my chakra?"

"Yeah. But first we have to reach the field. I don't want any accidents." Toroku nodded in understanding and they left the room to head toward their destination.

* * *

They were passing by the seventh training ground when Toroku stopped on the path, staring at the destruction a few meters from him. The green and mellow grass in the clearing now looked like a battlefield. A long and thick line of soil crossed it, cutting a deep scar on the surface of the field, only to end in a huge and deep crater. He had sensed it for a while. The scent of his own blood. He gradually moved closer to the scene, walking slowly, step by step, like a robot, all while not avert his gaze from his destination, followed by Minato from a small distance. He was now standing next to the huge crater, eyes locked onto the abyss, where he could still spot some darker points in the soil. His blood... the scent assaulted his sensitive nose and his head started to spin in disgust.

"This is where…?"

"Yes. My team found you here. They were sparring when you suddenly impacted from nowhere." Toroku looked around to gather any crumbs of information, something that maybe he could spot, and also to avert his eyes from the dark spots of his own blood, but nothing grabbed his attention. Not that he really hoped for it, but at least his head stopped spinning for now.

"My team already complained to the Hokage that they can't use the field in this state. The reconstruction will take weeks." Minato shook his head slowly as he stared inside the hole.

"Anything?" Toroku shook his head, but he immediately regretted his action. His stomach now lurched like a drum, screaming, and he felt his head starting to spin again.

"No… Can we go, please? My head is spinning from the scent of my blood… It's just disgusting."

Minato looked back at him in disbelief. It happened almost three weeks ago, the scene was cleared, and yet he could still smell it even with active chakra binding seals. He sniffed at the air stealthily, trying to spot the familiar scent of the crimson liquid, but success evaded him. Only the sweet scent of nature caught his nose. The plants, the animals, mixed with the calming sensation of the scent of the wet soil under his foot. He moved next to the blond, who was now looking down to the center of the pit, and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, then. We have things to do." The boy just answered with a nod as they moved towards their real destination, not far away from the start of Toroku's new life in Konoha.

* * *

They arrived at the next available training ground. Minato moved next to Toroku, pointing to his hands, and he happily freed his wrists from his pockets to present them to the blond, who then placed his hand on a dark inked seal on his arms to deactivate them. A soft, warm golden light spread across the maze of symbols and it slowly faded away, leaving no mark on his smooth, scar-free skin, only a faint cooling sensation where it was a minute ago.

Toroku sighed in relief as he felt his chakra spread across his body, warming up every part, from his head to his toes. It felt pleasant and safe and he really didn't know how he could have lived without this sensation until now. As his chakra filled his system, he subconsciously started the regain his control over it, until it felt natural. He just knew how to do it, and he also knew that he was doing it well. Minato stared at the blond boy, slowly monitoring the process and nodded in satisfaction as he saw nothing alarming.

"What about the others?"

"Those will stay for a while. We'll go step by step. I don't want you to overexert your chakra coils, which doubtlessly would happen if I removed all of them at once. I don't want to risk a chakra overcharge on your system. You haven't used it for weeks. At the end I'll remove all of the seals, but for now, focus the amount you currently have access to." Toroku nodded in understanding and moved farther onto the field and started to stretch his limbs automatically.

"Let's start with a basic chakra control exercise." Minato pointed toward the nearest tree. "You are going to climb trees."

Toroku rolled his eyes and moved toward the tree confidently as the knowledge sprang up in his mind, and placed his left foot on it to walk up, then his right, only to fall onto his back with a loud thud and a surprised yelp as his head flung backward to meet with the hard soil under the tree. Minato let out a loud laugh, and moved next to the teen, tapping the boy's shoulder as he sat up stroking the back of his head, grunting between his teeth.

"You… You knew this was going to happen, don't you?" Minato just chuckled

"This is because of your stupid seals. They messed up my chakra control!" he pointed a finger toward the older blond with an angry stare.

"My seals are perfect, and to answer your question, yes I expected something like this," Minato answered with a sullen voice and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Stand up and do it again." He moved to the nearest tree, sat down, and leaned back to watch the still muttering teen. Toroku moved backwards and faced the tree again. A warm, nostalgic feeling flowed through his heart and he smiled unconsciously.

"Give me a kunai."

"Why?"

"To mark my progress…"

Toroku had caught the flying weapon in midair, faced the tree, and charged without hesitation to run up it, parallel to the ground and then flipped back from its middle, after he marked the height.

"Hmm, not bad for a second try, brat" Minato muttered, while Toroku just frowned back to him, his eyes glaring daggers toward him.

"I heard that. Sissy." Minato just shook his hand and put his arms behind his head to watch the progress.

After fifteen minutes Toroku stood upside down on a branch before he jumped down, presenting a perfect black flip and landing fluently on the ground. Minato just pointed towards a small stream at the other side of the training ground and was rewarded with an angry muttering from the teenager.

"Slave driver… this is boring."

Another ten minutes later, Toroku headed back to Minato, who pointed to the ground beside him, hinting for the teenager to sit down. Minato was actually impressed. The kid shaped up his chakra control in record time. He thought he would only be able succeed in the tree climbing in the first hour.

"I'll remove one more set of seals. Do the exercises again and then we can move on to the next step."

"What will be the next step? Climbing waterfalls? Catching runaway cats?" Toroku nattered and looked away while Minato released two more seals on his ankles, sending another wave of warming sensation within the blond, washing away his frustration immediately.

"No. Sparring." The teen's head flung back toward Minato and he gave an animalistic grin in response.

"Now it's starting to get interesting."

Twenty minutes later the two blonds stood face to face in the middle of the training ground eying their respective opponent, waiting for the other's first move.

Minato struck first. He jumped in front of the blond, aiming a punch to his face, but Toroku naturally brushed his attack to the side and followed up with his other hand to return the favor. Minato crouched to the ground to evade the attack, and launched another one with his right hand toward the teenager's chest. Toroku stepped back to fling his leg toward Minato to avoid his hand.

Minato didn't want to hit the blond hard, he just wanted to see how the blond would react to their practice fight. And he was doing quite well. His movements became much smoother, much more aware of his surroundings and his own movement after the first ten minutes. When Minato thought he was ready for the next step, he gracefully jumped backward and smiled in satisfaction at the grinning teen. He tossed a kunai to the teenager who easily caught it in the air and grabbed another one for himself.

Then they charged. For fifteen minutes nothing could be heard on the training field, only the sharp clinks as metal met metal, the music of a shinobi fight with it's sometimes unpredictable, sometimes mystical, and sometimes rhythmic beat. Minato jumped back again, put down his kunai, and gave an appreciative smile to the blond, breaking the music and leaving the area in an uneasy silence.

"You know, this went better than I expected. Ready for the next level?"

"Hell yeah, dattebayo!"

Toroku grinned like an idiot. He enjoyed this so much. This was his element. He felt like fish in the water. Out of that small room and fighting. When he fought, everything fell in place, like when you finally find the missing piece of a puzzle. At first it was strange. His limbs moved without him, only pure reflexes handled his attacks and his defense, like he was switched to auto pilot. But after the first ten minutes he was starting be aware of his own movements, while his only instinct based movements and actions were fading away slowly during the kunai fight, replaced with direct plans and strategy of how to attack and deflect against his opponent.

Minato moved to his side and removed the last seal on his chest: the biggest one, which monitored most of his chakra during the past two weeks. As he felt the remaining chakra running through his system, his knees twitched under the sudden pressure, but in the end he managed to stand straight and not drop himself onto the soft grass. He closed his eyes and forced his chakra to calm down as he let out the air in his lungs, slowing his breaths and his heartbeats, to focus on his inner parts. The jumping spikes became smaller and smaller as the raging sea of his blue chakra settled down. The emptiness in his body, in his mind and soul finally filled and he was now whole... At least, almost a whole… He opened his eyes and immediately moved to the nearest tree to check his chakra control. It was perfect for the first try. It was even better than last time. It just felt more familiar, more natural than previously.

Two ANBU appeared behind the older blond, suspiciously eying his companion at the top of the tree. They felt those spikes, and their instincts were screaming 'Trouble!' when they felt the monstrous amount of chakra and Minato's tensed, ready to attack poise.

"Everything all right?" Minato didn't even bother himself to look at them, he was still staring at the top of the tree, where Toroku stood parallel to the ground examining himself, opening and closing his hands several times.

"Yeah, I think so."

"That boy is a chakra monster…" Minato just nodded without turning toward the speaker on his right, his own azure pools still focused on the top of the tree, watching carefully every small move and action of Toroku, ready to interfere and put down him if he tried something.

Toroku now felt his natural chakra flow, but it lacked any direct control and he could even feel his blue chakra pulsing from his pores invisibly, numbing his senses. It was disturbing. He closed his eyes again, while he was standing on the highest branch of the tree to suppress it to a more comfortable level, where his senses reached their full potential again not bothered by his own chakra. He felt the warm breeze waving his shirt which stroked his skin like a soft hand. He heard the animals around him and smelled their scent around the woods. He let out a deep breath as he opened his eyes and hopped down next to the small group.

"Hey, ANBU-sans, what's this? Free circus? Go back behind that pine."

The air between the ANBU members and Toroku tensed, almost to a touchable level, when Minato broke it with his low chuckle.

"It's alright. I can handle him."

One of the ANBU nodded and left, while the other still stared at the blond, glaring daggers with his brown eyes behind his mask and his broken pride, but in the end he also left, murmuring about tiresome, cheeky brats behind his mask.

"You know Toroku, they'll have a nervous break-down because of you."

"Why?" the teenager asked with a surprised look.

"Because of your sensing skills. You're playing with their nerves the same way a guitarist plucks his strings."

The blond didn't answer, only shrugged. "Can we continue?"

They walked to the middle of the clearing, taking up the starting position, ready to attack. This time it was Toroku who launched his attack first. He threw several fast punches toward Minato, but he easily dodged them, only to fling his leg, sweeping the teen's legs out from under him, who was now rolling on the ground in order to gain a more manageable distance from Minato. Toroku jumped to the air towards the blond and slammed down his leg where Minato stood a blink ago, who was now pointing his kunai to the back of his neck with a smile on his face.

"I expected something more from you."

"Just watch."

Toroku disappeared with a puff of smoke, leaving nothing behind but a tree trunk and a wide eyed Minato. The surprised blond swung around to find where the blond moved with the Kawarimi, eying the training ground around him suspiciously, when he felt a kunai at the back of his head. His muscles tensed to teach the blond a new lesson about speed, when the two ANBU appeared again with one's kunai at the back of Toroku's head, the other with a katana millimeters in front of his neck. Minato cleared his throat and hissed to the ANBU.

"You know, we are sparing, and he is_ just _a teenager, nothing I can't handle easily. You're really overdoing it."

"It's okay."

Toroku made a sad smile, shrugged and disappeared again with a puff of smoke. Minato frowned as he realized what happened seconds before his sparring partner first disappeared, and a smile appeared on his face as he imagined the open mouths behind the masks. The ground started to move in front of Minato and Toroku appeared slowly from the soil a safe distance away. He straightened himself and swept the soil and dust from his clothes.

"Do you know how difficult it was to dig in this damn hard soil, and then position myself to where I want? You just ruined everything," he pointed a finger toward the frozen guards frowning angrily.

"ANBU-sans. Dismiss please, and for Kami's sake, relax a little." The two ANBU disappeared without a trace, still eying Toroku suspiciously.

"That was a nice job. I thought you used Kawarimi to disappear and then reappear behind me at first."

"The Kage bunshin used a simple Henge and then he transformed back in your blind spot."

"I didn't hear anything."

Toroku just made a shrug at the comment. He knew the bunshins should make sound and smoke when it appeared, but he also knew how to make it without anything. That was the first technique that appeared inside his head. He made the bunshin into the ground without any movement, only by a pure instinct, and when he thought it would be a wise decision to hide, a new idea popped into his mind, to switch places with him with a kawarimi to move underground where the clone was hiding. The same method went through the clone's head as the knowledge of Henge popped up in his head underground.

"When did you make the Kage Bunshin?" Toroku just grinned as he let out the cheeky answer, earning a high eyebrow from Minato.

"Who knows?"

Minato frowned at that statement, and also he was angry, because he failed to notice a Henge centimeters from himself. _'An academy level jutsu…'_ He was aware that something was moving below himself, he could hear the digging under them and by this he was also aware of the boy's clone, but he suspected an earth clone. The tactic was priceless, simple, still effective, and Toroku's use of the Kage Bunshin technique was crushing. It was perfect, without any hand signs, noise of any kind, and was channeled directly into the ground. But still, the use of a Kinjutsu technique was a little worrying.

"So it seems I don't have to hold back as much against you as I first thought. That was a neat move." Toroku just grinned again like an idiot, evidently satisfied with his performance.

"Once more. Continue with ninjutsu, to regain your knowledge." Toroku became serious and nodded when he heard Minato's simple orders.

"Then go."

Minato disappeared, and reappeared at the back of the teenager and with an inhuman speed he sent him flying toward the trees with a mere flick of his leg. Toroku rolled and jumped back to his feet instantly when he hit the ground, while his hands already formed seals as he rolled. He draw air in his lungs and blew it out to form small fire balls flying towards Minato.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu! (Fire Style - Art of the Phoenix Flower)"**  
**

Minato easily dodged the first round, and jumped back carelessly to wait for the fireballs to slam into the ground and disappear where he was a moment before, noting the boy's elemental affinity to himself. Fire was very common in this country. So it seems he is from somewhere nearby, not outside the borders. He sighed in relief within his mind, glad that he wasn't a foreign spy. He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a chakra spike, just in time to see the blond had finished the last hand sign of his next attack only moments after he breathed out the last waves of the burning air from his lungs.

"Futon: Kuuki hanmaa! (Wind Release, Air Hammer)"

Minato's eyes widened as the small fire balls began to grow to their multiple sizes, then started to whirl and glow like a tornado made of pure fire, flying towards him with increased speed. Minato disappeared from the upcoming impact and reappeared at a nearby tree, watching the deconstruction that the attack caused to the middle of the field. The fire ate large pieces of the field thanks to the wind technique, creating an oven with never calming hell._ 'He created a collaborate attack to increase the speed and efficiency of his first one.. and that was a second affinity.'_

Toroku also sensed his error as he jumped next to the inferno while he was running through a series of seals.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu! (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)"**  
**

A large wave of water spread across the clearing to extinguish the increasing amount of orange and red flames. When the attack died, most of the clearing was black and gray, smoke still twisting lazily in the warm breeze from the ashes of the once-green field.

Minato tilted his head, to examine the damage but only shrugged. After all, this is what these grounds were for. It may take a month for the grass to grow back, but nothing serious. However… _'That is a third element, if I don't count the digging, but I'm not sure that was an element use.'_ He looked back at the boy with a curious face. Most of the Jonins can handle only two elements, the seasoned ones rarely three. And this boy was only how old? Maybe eighteen? He shook his head and jumped down to Toroku.

"You've overdone it a little. This is the second training ground you've reduced to cinders in two weeks!" stated Minato cheekily. Toroku straightened and scratched the back of his neck.

"Sorry, it was mostly a reflex. And… I didn't do the first willingly!"

"Just how difficult was it for you to use those attacks?" Toroku shrugged.

"Not too much."

"Can you do a lightning or earth release?"

"I don't know. They just popped up in my head and then I used them. It was a reflex, nothing intentional.

Minato nodded and reached into his pocket to reveal a small piece of paper.

"Here. Channel some chakra to it."

"You are interested about my main elemental affinity?"

"Exactly!" Minato stated cheerfully.

"Why?" Toroku eyed him suspiciously from head to toe.

"No reason, I'm just curious."

"Could you just once give me a direct answer?" Minato just smiled calmly, but didn't answer.

The teenager let out a sigh and grabbed the small paper to channel his chakra into it and turned away from Minato, mumbling about secretive sissies while the blond moved in front of him to see the process.

The paper was sliced into two equal parts, and Minato's thoughts wandered to Wind country. He really hoped it would burn in the end.

"So any further explanation why I must do that?" Toroku asked. Minato just shrugged; his face wasn't mirroring the disappointment he felt.

He wandered back to a tree, still thinking, absolutely lost in his thoughts for minutes. When he finally spoke, Toroku was disappointed. He thought he could stay a little more to polish his skills.

"We are heading back. That's enough for today. Rest and sleep. Tomorrow's assessment will be a thorough one."

Toroku nodded and they headed back to the village, each of them buried within his own thoughts.

* * *

Minato entered to the Hokage's office to make his report about the assessment, and maybe complain about the ANBU after he escorted Toroku back to the I&T department. He hadn't decided yet to mention their previous action. _'I also have to report the damage to the training ground.' _He let out a sigh as he sat down in the familiar chair in front of the desk.

"Hokage-sama."

"Minato-kun. Any news?"

"I would like to inform you about the details for tomorrow's assessment. I arranged everything. It will be held at two o'clock in the afternoon on the eleventh training ground." Sarutobi nodded at the information.

"I removed all of the chakra binding seals today, to prepare him for tomorrow's assessment."

"Was that a good idea?" Minato shrugged

"I trust in my instincts. Furthermore, I wanted to have an idea of his capabilities." Sarutobi nodded, and Minato continued.

"He is quite good. During our little spar he used wind, water and fire releases." Sarutobi blinked in surprise and frowned at the information._ 'That's quite a big elemental repertoire for a teenager.'_

"I conducted an element test to see which one was his primary affinity, and the result was wind…It's quite rare in Konoha, so it seems he really was a foreigner…" Minato let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his blonde locks.

"His taijutsu is still sloppy and his ninjutsu techniques were pure reflexes, but this is connected only to his memory loss. It will fade away with time. We were really just scratching the surface of his knowledge. He could be really strong if he regains perfect control. Also, he used quite an interesting tactic. Actually, he surprised me with it… Going only by our brief match, he should be in high Chuunin or low Jonin level, but I'm certain that he is capable of much more than that. Especially considering his chakra system…"

"Who will be his partner?"

"Hatake Kakashi." The Hokage gave him a knowing smile and nodded _'Kill two birds with one stone. No, actually not just two...'_

"I think we will see a very interesting match tomorrow." Minato smiled back.

"This will be a good opportunity for the both of them to show what they are capable of."

* * *

If you say Toroku was troubled because of the assessment, you would be terribly wrong. He was jumpy and excited, and maybe, a very little bit deeply burrowed inside his mind, a little bit nervous. But only a little bit. He felt like a small child waiting to open the packed box in front of him, to know what's in there. This was his chance to show everyone that he was worthy of their trust, and he could become a useful shinobi. He couldn't hold on, he had to do something to ensure his sanity. He also had the surge to regain more control of his jutsus. He acted on reflexes and it could be dangerous if he involuntary released a destructive attack. _'That's it, I can't hold back anymore, I have to talk with Makoto-san.'_

* * *

Toroku was now laying in the middle of the ANBU training field, waiting to catch his breath.

He got permission from Makoto-san to use the training ground, with ANBU surveillance of course, to continue his preparations. With the lack of a real sparing partner, he used his Kage Bunshins, and he realized he knew a lot more jutsus, and his taijutsu was also morphing from mediocre to a real style. During the approved two hours, he also gained control over his reflexes, to avoid another disaster, like with the fire jutsu. He really didn't want to blow up anything like before. A tall blond figure reached his eyesight. He was on his feet instantly and gave a confused look to the laughing Minato.

"I didn't sense you…"

"I was around for some time. You know, you aren't the only one with great sensing and chakra control."

"It isn't a trouble that I was training, was it?"

"No, I gave the permission, and I'm also pleased that you want to regain control over yourself. Anyway, I came to tell you that the assessment will be at two o'clock in the afternoon. I'll pick you up. But now you really should rest or your partner will mop the ground with blond locks tomorrow." Toroku nodded and smiled as they left the field together with the four ANBU.

* * *

Toroku was now marching up and down, from wall to wall in his small room. He already fell out with two different ANBU because he was frustrated. Yesterday's calm mood was now nowhere to be seen. _'Only five more minutes until two o'clock, and that damn Namikaze still isn't here… '_ He was at the point of kicking the door open and marching onto to the training grounds alone. It wouldn't be so hard to find the Hokage. _'I'm sure he's surrounded by his ANBU, and these guys just suck.'_

He let out a breath of frustration as he sensed a chakra signature appear behind him, and a hand fall to his shoulder, smelling the familiar scent of the blond. He breathed in a large amount of air to start yelling, but before he could, Minato smiled and grabbed his shoulder harder.

"Come on, or we'll be late."

Then he felt it. It was like someone grabbed his stomach, then twisted and squeezed it into different angles. It lasted only a second, before it was gone, but that second felt like an eternity when he appeared in a commodious green clearing. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground, but he managed to lean on his hands and now he was panting heavily on all fours. His face was green, and his dinner was fighting to stay where it was, until he gathered himself, and stared angrily to the blond, who stood beside him with a stoic face. He straightened on his trembling legs and pointed a finger to the middle of Minato's face, almost touching his forehead, and gathered enough air into his lungs to yell for at least two minutes without the need to take a break.

"You!... You freak! How dare you… Never, ever use that thing on me again! I almost died… You're not human! You're a sadist! How the hell can you stand that thing!? ...And what the hell do you think you are even doing!? First you were late, I almost broke out to come here alone! If I missed my assessment because of you, I'll kill you…"

"Toroku…" Minato said softly but raised an eyebrow at the outburst, but the blond didn't bother himself and just continued detailing his future torture and his slow and painful death.

"…then slice you to tinier pieces than your flashy seals and then I'll throw you to the dogs and I'll laugh! And after that I'll…"

"Toroku…"

Someone cleared his throat in the background and Toroku's brain slowly began to work again after his shock and outburst. He froze and slowly turned toward a small group of people. He felt Minato's palm snap to the back of his head, not in a painful way, but in a I-told-you-to-listen-to-me-and-now-look-what-you-have-done way.

His brain fell apart and he had felt his blood moving to his face, burning it like all hell. His cheeks and forehead, even his ears were now brilliantly red in embarrassment as he faced an older man in a white and red robe, with a triangle shaped hat on his head, stoically puffing from his pipe while eying him from head to toe without showing any emotion as he watched the scene. On his left, a smaller boy stood, with spiky silver hair and only one visible wide eye. The other was hidden under his hitai-ate, as was his lower face with a mask. He tilted his head to the side as he admired the unusual scene. Toroku lifted his hand behind his head to scratch the back of his head in a familiar way.

"Eh… Sorry… for the scene… Can we… Can we pretend that the last five minutes never happened?" he smiled in embarrassment to the leader of the village, and when he received a smile in return, he gathered himself and bowed toward the man.

"Hokage-sama. It's pleasure to meet you in person." Sarutobi smiled at him, and he never, ever wanted to admit it loudly, but he understood his outburst. Minato played a nasty trick, and experiencing the Hiraishin for the first time really wasn't pleasant.

"Toroku-kun. Also my pleasure. However, we already met once before in the hospital under a different… situation.

"Also, very sorry about that…"

"Toroku-kun, let me introduce you to Jonin Hatake Kakashi. He is one of my students." Minato moved his hand toward the young boy, who just nodded in response. Toroku gave one last angry glance toward the other blond and nodded in response to Kakashi.

"Hatake-kun." He looked back to Minato with a questioning look.

"Who will I fight with?"

Minato pointed toward the silver haired child and Toroku raised one eyebrow at the gesture, but didn't make any comment. They were now eying each other suspiciously until Minato broke the silence.

"Now, if the introductions are done, we can start the assessment. The rules are the following. This is just a spar, no use of deadly force. Limit your fight to the clearing and hold back on the use of any destructive Jutsu."

During the last part he was meaningfully eying Toroku. The two boys nodded and moved to the center of the clearing to start the fight after the approval, while their two audience members moved to the side of the training ground.

"Begin!" Minato shouted.

The two boy instantly charged at each other, starting with mere taijutsu to survey each other's strength and speed and to warm up. Toroku launched his left hand toward Kakashi's left eye under his hitai-ate, while he deflected his attack with his other hand, sweeping it to the side from his face. The young Jonin jumped backward with a flip while moving his legs to perform a kick under the blond's chin successfully. The blond's head snapped backward, and he immediately jumped to the same direction to gain some space. Toroku shook his head to clear his thoughts and examined again his opponent with narrowed eyes.

Kakashi ran toward his opponent, sending punches, aiming for the blond's head, who was now forced again to deflect back continuously from the rain of punches. The Jonin jumped over him to aim a kick for his back, but Toroku crouched and rolled to the slide to avoid it.

Minato watched the battle with narrowed eyes. Toroku used a mix of several styles, different from his small spar yesterday and it had a lot of familiar components. Gentle fist, basic academy, gentle fist, something else, gentle fist again, advanced academy, tiger, hard fist, something else, tiger again, gentle fist… It was a big chaotic mess, with effective defense and unpredictability. However, he couldn't catch up with Kakashi, hadn't even used his Sharingan yet.

'_Some moves were definitely based on the Hyuuga's gentle fist. Not the same, but very similar. How on earth did he manage to learn that? They guard their tradition like a pack of wild dogs. No way they would teach it to an outsider, doesn't matter if he's from Konoha, or from another country. I even doubt they would teach it to Sarutobi.'_

Minato glanced toward his leader, who also narrowed his eyes in recognition.

Toroku rolled further from the young shinobi and he took up once more the starting position as Kakashi had done the same five meters from the blond. Toroku was now waiting for his attack, which wasn't long. A second later, Kakashi jumped into the air and sent three kunai flying toward him. He jumped to the side to avoid the attack, and grabbed one of them to deflect the second wave of flying shuriken with his newly gained weapon.

"Hey! I don't have any weapons!" Toroku yelped to Minato, who just shrugged and chuckled. If looks could kill, Minato would be dead in at least fifty various and painful ways.

The teen's head snapped back to the fight just in time to deflect another wave of kunai flying toward him. He muttered angrily, but he grabbed one of the kunai in the air, followed its movement as he spun himself gracefully, like a dancer, and sent it back to Kakashi with increased speed without a break in the flow. He jumped back and without any hand sign, he stated calmly the name of the next technique.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)**"**

A Bunshin appeared next to him without smoke or sound and immediately transformed into a fuuma shuriken after he nodded to the original blond. Toroku grabbed and sent it towards Kakashi in a flash, however he easily jumped away from its path. The blond narrowed his eyes and repeated his previous move.

"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)"

This time around fifty clones appeared and jumped toward the original to transform into several weapons, sticking into the soil, ready to be grabbed. The ground around the blond was now filled with shurikens, kunai, katanas, chains and everything that was able to cause damage in various forms from senbons to even a war axe. Toroku grabbed them one by one and threw them towards the young shinobi without hesitation, only to be deflected easily by Kakashi.

Sarutobi made a disappointed look and frowned at the scene, narrowing his eyes to a line. The taijutsu was something very unexpected, though not enough to counter Kakashi. The mix of styles, and the gentle fist. Not the exact copy, but certainly based on it, maybe he tried to copy it from a Hyuuga. The question is, where could he at all have had the opportunity to do that? When he first saw Toroku using Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, a kinjutsu, forbidden for the shinobi and very dangerous without using a hand sign, without smoke or sound, only to create weapons, he was impressed. But now, he saw that the boy was just throwing them without thinking, more and more desperately, and that disappointed him. Minato talked about him with pride as a skilled shinobi. He looked to his friend, who was still focused carefully to the fight. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow when Minato looked at him and gestured his head toward the boys, signaling to just watch the fight.

Toroku was out of weapons, panting and with sweat pouring from his forehead. The ground was filled with the weapons all across the field as Kakashi jumped all around to avoid them. His eyes were still fixed on Kakashi, while the young shinobi exploited the lack of weapon rain and jumped toward him to launch his final attack at the exhausted ninja. He jumped backward, playing a cat and mouse game with him, until Kakashi finally grabbed his wrist, twisted it painfully backwards and slammed his body to the ground, placing his foot inside the blond tufts. Kakashi snorted in victory when his captive disappeared in a puff of smoke, chuckling. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, while Minato made a wide smirk. He already knew what would happen.

Toroku jumped out from the ground and aimed a kick toward Kakashi, who deflected it with wide eyes, jumped back and grabbed a kunai from the ground, which transformed and a new Toroku appeared beside him, aiming for his head with a punch. Kakashi was surprised that the blond was fast. Faster than before and he hadn't had time to react. When his fist connected with his head, he flew across the field, but at the last second he was able to twist in the air and land on his feet. Two more clones appeared on each side from a kunai and from a senbon, slamming a kick together from each side to his back, sending Kakashi flying again toward another group of sneering blond boys.

The scene reminded Sarutobi of a crazy flipper game, and his mouth curled into a smile. The boy was, in the end, really good. The tactic was so simple, but still great, and Kakashi underestimated his opponent.

After two more flying lessons he was finally able to twist in mid-air to land in a place without any blond head or suspicious weapons. He looked at Minato, who gave a nod as his approval. The army of blond shinobi was now waiting patiently after they fulfilled their duty.

Kakashi reached up to his Hitai-ate and revealed his left eye. A red glowing eye with two lazily whirling black tomoe. The Toroku clones froze, then tilted their head to examine the new danger with wide eyes in an almost complete synchronization. One of the blonds in front of Kakashi grabbed his head, and made a painful grimace while most of the mini army and weapons still in to the soil disappeared in a puff of smoke with a groan. Toroku was now kneeling on one leg while he tried to focus his eyes anywhere else beside the red eyes. He shook his head to see Kakashi was now glancing toward their audience with a confused face.

"Well, I think the sharingan theory is proven," Minato stated calmly, and Sarutobi nodded in agreement.

The older blond appeared next to the boys crouching form, examining him suspiciously, waiting for him to grab himself. He shook his head again and straightened.

"What happened?"

"I'm okay, I want to continue."

"You remembered something?" Minato's voice was now cold and professional.

"Nothing. Really. Just a feeling, like when we ate recently." He shook his head again to clear his thoughts.

"It was… rage…, but a very intensive one. But I'm okay now. Really. I want to continue." Minato nodded and appeared again next to the Sandaime.

"You know, you're pretty good," Kakashi stated with a little edge in his voice. The blond smiled.

"Thanks. You too."

Toroku's thoughts wandered back to a minute ago. Rage. He felt the kind of rage that could blow up a mountain. He knew that this feeling was toward a certain person. But... there were other emotions. Protection, caring… and a promise. Toroku narrowed his eyes and forced himself back to his task in front of him.

They started charging toward each other, running through hand signs.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)" They shouted out in unison, exactly the same time.

When the two infernos met, it spread burning hot flames around the ground, burning a great expanse of the ground to black and gray ashes. Toroku shouted out to Minato, while he pointed toward Kakashi.

"Please note, that this wasn't my fault. He was the one who copied my technique, so this mess doesn't belong to me!" Minato just shook his head briefly and nodded.

He turned toward his opponent and started running toward Kakashi, as a shadow clone appeared next to him, also running. The young boy didn't wait for him to use any attack, as he formed a hand sign to stop the blond.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)"

The clone grabbed Toroku's fist and sent him flying toward Kakashi with increased speed, avoiding the fire ball just in time to disappear in a puff of smoke inside the unstoppable inferno. Toroku landed in front of Kakashi and slammed his hands toward the boy, who immediately jumped backward to avoid the punch, which almost reached his chest. However, despite his active sharingan, he couldn't calculate what happened next.

Two blue mini chakra tornadoes appeared in the palms of the blond, and immediately stretched toward him, sending him flying to the trees and into the woods, to stop after he broke three trees with his small body. All of this in only the blink of an eye.

"Futon: Tatsumaki Odori (Wind release, Tornado dance)…" The blond murmured the name of the technique which was performed without any hand sign, or warning, just appeared in a blink of time.

Toroku waited for the young Jonin to appear stoically, but suddenly he swung around and smashed his fist into the ground to pull out a blinking Kakashi by his wrist and pointed a kunai toward his throat, expanded with sharp wind chakra.

"I guess this fight is mine."

"We will see."

Kakashi in his hands exploded into millions of electronic sparks, sending lightning toward his limbs, but before the lightning clone could finish his task, he vanished in a puff of smoke again.

Two forms exploded from the ground, sending dust and debris all over the field. Kakashi already started making hand signs. _'I have to finish this quick or he will be troublesome…' _The blond pushed his hands toward him, but nothing happened. Kakashi froze in his movement, preparing the same attack as before, his muscles tensed ready to avoid the attack. He won't fail twice by the same mistake, he will be prepared. At least he thought, but he was pushed back with an enormous wind blast that appeared from nowhere and without any sign. He fell to the ground, but before he could react, and jump to his feet, another enormous wind blast reached him from the sky, nailing him onto the ground continuously, while Toroku stepped toward him stoically. Kakashi still struggled, but the wind was too strong. He couldn't even leave his eyes open as the enormous air pressure pinned him to the ground.

"Futon: Kuuki hanmaa (Wind Release, Air Hammer)" stated the blond calmly, glancing down at his still struggling captive.

"You won't be able to escape from this, so I suggest you forfeit." However, Kakashi ignored him, and he gave up only after two minutes of massive struggling against the wind pressure.

Toroku released the jutsu, and stepped next to Kakashi, giving a helping hand to him, to get up. Minato also appeared with the Hokage, smiling at the two boys with awe.

"You made quite a nice show, boys."

"Yeah, and gained quite a big audience also…" Toroku grunted, pointing towards the trees and toward a big cliff, where Inoichi and Makoto sat.

Minato chuckled, while he sensed the disappearance of ten chakra signals from the woods and one more approaching from Inoichi's direction. ANBU. They were really curious as to what the boy was capable of besides playing with their pride.

"You didn't use hand signs with the wind techniques or the bunshins," Kakashi pointed out the obvious.

"Well, no. I don't want any of my wind techniques to be copied by you. After you did that with my fire ball, I thought it would be safer for me like this." Kakashi narrowed his eyes, and suddenly one more Toroku appeared next to them.

"Okay guys, good job." The one who helped up Kakashi saluted toward them with two fingers, grinning, then disappeared with a puff of smoke and more could be heard all over the battle field as the last of the weapons and still lurking clones disappeared. _ 'I was beaten by a clone…' _If Kakashi wasn't as composed as he was, he would have liked to grab his silver hair and tear it out. _'A mere clone… that's a shame…'_

"You are lazy," Minato stated with a calm tone, but a small hint of awe was also in his voice.

"I just wanted to say 'hi' to Inoichi-san and Makoto-san. Mostly I was fighting." Toroku just shrugged and waved toward the two man group on the cliff.

"How many of those did you make, exactly?" asked Minato curiously.

"Enough to have fun for at least one more hour." Toroku grinned when he saw Kakashi's widening eyes.

Sarutobi puffed from his pipe and turned to them.

"I have to admit, that was a really interesting fight. Minato, we will meet in my office at six o'clock. I would like to have a word with the young man."

Minato nodded and waved a hand when he disappeared with a yellow flash of his blond locks. Toroku shivered from the sight as the memory flowed into his mind, almost feeling again when it was used on him, earning a small smile from the Hokage. Kakashi bowed to the leader and nodded to Toroku then teleported away, leaving whirling leaves and dust on the training ground. Sarutobi turned to Toroku, eying him with a wondering look on his wrinkled face.

"Let's take a walk, Toroku-kun." The blond nodded. He was now nervous as the adrenaline from the previous fight faded away, leaving him alone with the strongest man in the village. He knew that this talk would occur eventually. Actually, he thought it would be much sooner. They started to walk slowly back to the village on the small path without a word. The blond felt himself very uneasy, pressed by the awkward silence. _'What should I do? Should I ask something?'_ Before he could decide and act Sarutobi broke the silence between them.

"Why do you want to stay in Konoha?" Toroku left his gaze at the ground while they walked, kicking a small stone out of his way.

"Despite my first experience… I like it here." He looked back at Sarutobi and continued. "Most of the people are nice… except some of the ANBU… they are quite jumpy…"

His eyes wandered toward the woods, where the Hokage's private guards followed their movement until now without a noise. A groan left one of the trees with a familiar voice, mumbling with irritation. For his surprise, Sarutobi leaned back his head and laughed loudly. After he finished he waved a hand toward Toroku to continue.

"It's peaceful here. I know there is war outside the walls, but still, that's how I feel. Besides… I don't really know where else I could go… I don't know anybody." He smiled sadly toward the Hokage, who nodded in understanding.

"Why do you want to became a shinobi?"

"This is the only thing I know. And I'm aware that some of my skills could serve the village well. Besides… I thought a lot about my memories… about my only memory." He locked his eyes to the ground again.

"I thought a lot…. And…. I don't want to remember the rest of them... I don't want to feel that sorrow again, just like when I regained my first and only memory… I want to protect the people I know and care about, so I don't have to feel that again… even if that means only one person… I want to start it over." His sentence died to a low voice, almost whispering. He felt his cheeks start to warm up in his embarrassment. He hadn't shared these thoughts with anyone else besides Minato, who was actually the only one now who could be called his friend. Or something like that.

"It feels like, I belong here." He shrugged and looked down again to find another stone to channel his frustration into.

"I understand." The Hokage nodded but his eyes locked onto him curiously.

"What will be your goal here?" The blond stopped as he thought about the question, and answered with a wide smile.

"I want to build a better future."

For his amusement, the old leader of the village flung his head back and laughed again in a not-too-Hokage-like fashion. Now he didn't looked like the old, tempered leader of the village. He seemed to feel more rejuvenated than he had felt in decades, and his deep wrinkles smoothed out on his face as he laughed.

"Toroku-kun, you never set low standards for yourself, do you?" The blond responded with a small, embarrassed smile, scratching his cheek while he started waking again.

"I'll let you join our ranks, but be aware: Gaining our trust will be a long and difficult path." Toroku's head turned toward the Hokage, his eyes filled with gratefulness.

"Thank you Hokage-sama. I won't disappoint you."

The blond gave a deep bow, his chest parallel to the ground, smiling wide. He started straightening himself, but he suddenly froze during the movement, his face straightened and his eyes narrowed. He caught a small movement from the edge of his eyesight. Sarutobi tensed, as he also sensed an almost unsensible killing intent reaching them. It was so small, almost unnoticeable, but it was there. The blond jumped toward a tree where the nearest ANBU hid not even a meter from them, and to Sarutobi's surprise he wrenched as much kunai as he could with one hand from the ANBU's pouch and immediately sent them flying behind Sarutobi. All of that only in a blink of an eye.

In another blink of an eye Toroku was now laying on the ground on his stomach, three ANBU above him, his arms painfully twisted behind his back, one leg on his head, and one knee on his back, pinning him painfully to the ground while his head was pulled backward by his hair, with katana in front of his neck a millimeter from his throat. He grunted in pain, eying behind the Hokage.

Sarutobi, was now standing in a calm but still tensed fighting pose, with a black staff in his hand, pinning a shapeless, panting something to one of the trees meters from him with the weapon, surrounded by the rest of the ANBU team pointing various weapons to the still invisible intruder. As the veil faded away slowly with a waving movement, like seeing something under the water, a shape of a shinobi appeared in front of them.

Sarutobi eyed the ninja, resting his narrowed eyes on the five kunai, which was nailing the intruder's clothes to the tree millimeters from his body. _'A perfect hit… '_ He waved his hand towards the group pinning Toroku down.

"Let the boy go." The ANBU shared a hesitating look, but then they moved away from the teen, eying him suspiciously while he moved to his feet, rubbing his aching wrist after their forced position.

The intruder's eyes locked onto the teen, watching him in rage, and didn't even bother to restrain his killing intent sent toward the blond. Sarutobi narrowed his eyes more, if that was even possible, surveying the attacker. His eyes moved to his hitai-ate with the symbol of Iwagakure.

"Bring him to the Interrogation and Torture department." The eye of the captive swept towards the Hokage for the first time, and a small hint of panic appeared on his face. The ANBU disappeared in the blink of an eye together with the Iwa ninja, leaving Sarutobi, Toroku and the rest of the guards without a sound. The old man now turned toward Toroku, studying him in wonder.

"One step closer Toroku-kun... One step closer…" The Hokage smiled at him and left the shocked teen on the path alone with his thoughts.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Training, training, and fighting to earn trust.

Most of the attacks were from the manga, but you can find some own creations. I used a simple dictionary, so if you can develop them, please don't hesitate. At first I used the English names of the attacks, but it felt very awkward, so I changed everything to double language, like this you don't have to bother yourself with translation or with the foot-note and then jump back where you were in the story and I can still see the Japanese version for my own pleasure.


	5. Chapter 5 – Foundation-stone and union

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime **(u/947576/), without him, I am lost.

**Original Upload date: 29/11/212**

**Last update: none**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 5. – Foundation-stone and union**

* * *

Toroku had been staring after the vanishing silhouette of the Sandaime Hokage for long minutes from the exact same spot. _'Damn, he's strong.'_ He couldn't recall when he had drawn out the staff or when he moved to use it. The old man was still fast and incredibly powerful. But he was glad. After he "saw" the ANBU and the Hokage in action, he was sure that his actions were unnecessary, even if he had sensed the intruder a millisecond before them. After a last shrug, Toroku made his way towards his room on the narrow path, back to the village.

He was lost in his thoughts about the previous fight with Kakashi. He managed it much better than he first thought he would, but a new feeling bothered him. That enormous rage that he felt. What if the same thing happened during a real mission and he froze in the middle of a life and death situation when facing with a strong and dangerous opponent, or if his feelings overwhelm him while he is facing with a friend during a sparring match? He couldn't let that happen again. He had to harden himself and lock away everything from his old self, to prevent a future catastrophe. As he was walking towards the village, he suddenly stopped and flung his head up when he had realized…

He was alone… He was alone outside of his room, for the very first time since he had woken up in the hospital. Okay, not perfectly alone, but besides only one ANBU hiding ten meters from him behind a cliff, he was almost alone. A smile appeared on his features and a warm sensation filled his chest. A sensation of his first steps to gain their trust. With this last thought he continued his trip toward the village, smiling and enjoying the nature around him and the warm breeze as it gently stroked his whisker marks on his cheeks.

…..

Sarutobi looked up from the long and irritating scroll in front of him to answer a knock on the door. He already waited for his arrival and he wasn't surprised when he first sensed the familiar chakra signal.

"Come in, Minato."

"Sarutobi-sama." He bowed and approached him with graceful and confident steps.

"I heard what happened."

"Yes. I already received a short summary about the interrogation. Inoichi-san is a very efficient shinobi. It seems that our guest from Iwa was originally a spy, but he couldn't contain his emotions too well. However, his hiding skills are extraordinary." Minato gave a confused look to the Hokage.

"His mission was only observation, nothing more. Inoichi revealed that his younger brother died during your last mission in Iwa… When he saw Toroku, he thought he was your relative and he couldn't suppress his killing intent." Sarutobi shook his head and looked into the wide cerulean eyes of Minato.

"That's true that we look very alike, but that's ridiculous." Minato frowned and slowly shook his head.

"You not only look alike, but you have more in common than you think, Minato." Sarutobi's eyes darkened after the statement, which started to bother Minato like hell. He hated when he behaved like this, hinting and not spilling out what he knew.

"What do you mean by that?" Minato frowned, his eyes narrowed as Sarutobi had sighed and pulled out a drawer to grab its contents. He slowly eyed the thick file in his hand, sighed again, and after a minute of hesitation he finally handed it over to Minato, then he touched and channeled some chakra into carved pattern on the desk to activate the privacy seals of his office.

"You would learn about it later anyway, but I wanted to inform you on my terms. After this incident I can't delay it anymore."

Minato's eyebrow raised. He wasn't used to this side of Sarutobi. He was in the position of his trust, but now he was hiding something very important. He looked at the file in his hand, hesitating for a moment before opening it. It was Toroku's personal file with every bit of information they were able to gather after his arrival. A small picture of the smiling teen was at the top right corner of first page above the report. He had eyed the picture for a moment, before his eyes moved down and started carefully reading its content.

'_Original name: Unknown. (Code name: Odoroki Toroku)'_

'_Gender,weight, height, special, identifications… found belongings… hospital reports… known skills… etc'_

'_Relatives: Test subject fourteen confirmed'_

Minato looked up to meet Sarutobi's darkened eyes, but his azure ones were now filled with confusion. While the thoughts were forking in his head like lightning, he gathered his emotions. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from the Hokage's own mouth.

"Who is test subject fourteen?" he asked calmly without any hint of his frustrating thoughts. Sarutobi watched him seriously, and puffed from his never missing pipe before he stated calmly,

"You."

Sarutobi eyed him without motion, waiting for some kind of reaction from the blond, but when no answer came he continued in the same calm tone.

"According to the tests, he is a very close relative. A first generation, like father, son, or brother." Minato just stared at the file in his hands without any reaction. He had been hardening his emotions and forced himself to observe the situation and the file in his hands like a professional, caring only for the facts.

"We can easily assume that the first two options aren't possible, so that leaves only one left. He is your brother, or more likely your half-brother. I doubt that you would forget your mother's pregnancy, so the only option is an affair of your father."

"By the age gap, it was one of his last acts," Minato stated with a sour tone, but still calmly. He already knew what would be the next step of this game.

"You know what this could mean Minato, don't you? If his memory was erased purposely to infiltrate into Konoha and be near you... if he is here only because of you… this is a dangerous situation for the village. Are you prepared for the decision that is expected?"

Minato only nodded slowly, his face showing no emotion, then he finally closed his eyes and shook his head, and his calm mask started to crack.

"Yes, it could be… but what if he isn't? If his appearance here is only coincidence? What do you expect of me? That I should kill him? That I should execute a teenager, who could be my only living relative?"

Minato's calm was starting to fade away. Of course he had been suspecting, and was also aware about the hints, that maybe there was more to this teen and that maybe they were somehow connected in some way. He wasn't blind. But as the Hokage had hinted the execution of the boy, it just made his eyes twitch.

"I don't like to repeat myself Hiruzen… but If we execute him now, that would make us merciless killers and nothing more." The Hokage didn't bother himself about the casual address, he just eyed the blond in front of him curiously.

"In the near future you will have to make decisions like this."

"I know that very well. But you are you, and I am I. We are different and I won't sacrifice anyone without any real proof, based only on speculations. And I doubt you are also that kind of person." Minato's voice died lower as he grabbed himself and calmed his aching nerves again.

"I take full responsibility for his actions. He wants to belong to this village and he wants to become a shinobi. Assign him to my team, that way I can keep an eye on him continuously, and accommodate him next to my apartment. I'll do what I have to do, if the time comes, for the sake of the village, but as of now this isn't that time."

Sarutobi didn't break the connection of their eyes, nor the silence which settled down in the office. He eyed Minato's every small movement, reaction, waiting for a tiny hint, but he was determined. In some aspects he was right. The boy at the moment wasn't a threat, and he was also determined to serve the village. Toroku was an impetuous boy who couldn't hide his emotions. And today he also experienced the strange aura that surrounded the boy. He hadn't laughed as freely as he did in the afternoon since the war had started. During that time, he felt like he moved back in time decades, where he was without the weight of the problems, the war, the continuous worrying for his people. Sarutobi closed his eyes, puffing continuously from his pipe, filling the room with the smell and smoke of the lazily smoldering fine tobacco, while his thoughts gathered around the choices.

Finally, he opened his eyes to meet a calm, blue ocean in front of him, then he just simply nodded in consent. He sensed Minato's fully tensed muscles relax, and his expression warmed as he gave a bow.

"Thank you Hokage-sama."

"Do you want to inform Toroku about your… relation?"

Minato nodded without hesitation and looked back at the door. He felt the boy's chakra signature behind the doors for some time past. Sarutobi touched another small seal on the surface of his desk without a word to signal to his secretary. When the doors opened, the blond teenager stepped in, escorted by an ANBU. The Hokage nodded to the guard, who bowed and left the room without a word. Toroku also bowed and moved nervously toward the desk where the two men were watching him calmly and… knowingly, hesitant of what to say next. Then Minato sent a small, warm smile at him and pointed to the chair next to him to sit down, and he was more than thankful to accept the offer to escape from this awkward situation.

"Toroku-kun. We are here to discuss some very important matters about your… future in Konoha." The Hokage said this with a moderate tone, and Toroku tensed in the chair.

"You will be accommodated next to Minato-kun's apartment in the future. You can move there tomorrow morning." The blond relaxed a little and nodded, waiting patiently for the old man to finish his words.

"Also, you will be assigned to Minato-kun's team."

The Hokage moved to his right and pulled out a drawer, placing a Hitai-ate in front of him on the desk, still eyeing the teen. Sarutobi pointed toward the Hitai-ate and Toroku reached after it, like a child for a piece of candy. His azure irises sparked in awe as he stared at the headband, studying every small part and every detail of it before he tied it on his forehead. He couldn't stand it, a small smile left his mouth and the heavy air in the office disappeared.

"Welcome to our lines, chuunin Odoroki Toroku." The blond grinned again like an idiot. His mouth was spread from ear to ear, but suddenly confusion ran across his face.

"Chuunin? I beat the crap out of the shrimp and he's a jonin! Why should I be his inferior?"

Minato let out a loud laugh at his statement, still chuckling afterward while everyone else waited for him to control himself. He had cleared his throat and looked back at his newly found relative with a calm face.

"That is because we don't know anything about your previous experience. Your power and skills may be on jonin level, but this isn't all about power. With time you can gain that rank."

Now it was time for Sarutobi to chuckle at the blond, who was now sitting in the chair with folded arms around his chest, his legs crossed, and frowning at Minato, sending angry looks toward him. He was sulking, just like a kid. It was very unpleasant that merely ten minutes ago they were talking about the execution of the very same boy in front of them.

"Be patient Toroku-kun. Furthermore there is one more thing that we must discuss before you start active duty with the rest of your team." Toroku straightened in the chair and now he was looking curiously at the Hokage, who waved for Minato to continue.

"We found a relative of yours here in Konoha." Toroku's eyes widened, his head switching from man to man, to settle down again on Minato.

"How? Who?" These were the only two word he could process from himself in his surprise.

"We conducted a blood test, and one was positive…"

"Who is it then? When can we meet?" Minato now scratched the back of his head nervously, not sure how to continue.

"Well, you already know him. It looks like you are half-brothers, based on the test results."

"I have a brother? And I know him?" Toroku's eyes widened to an unnatural size, his thoughts running in his head at an insane speed. _'Brother, so we must be alike… There's only two blond who I know, but Inoichi is…'_ He looked back at Minato with a confused, but knowing look.

"No way…"

"Well, trust me this is as unexpected for me as for you. I've also only just found out myself."

Toroku frowned as the previous statement's background started to became clearer. At first he thought that they placed him around Minato because he only knew him, and of course to keep an eye on him. But now... he was a little bit disappointed. After the first ten minutes of ecstasy, that he would be a real shinobi, he would be able to leave that room, and that he had family... It seemed distant now.

"You still think that I'm a spy… or an assassin… Someone after Minato, don't you?" he asked with a sad smile on his face.

"Indeed," Sarutobi stated calmly. "Remember what I told you Toroku-kun. Trust is something that you can earn with time and hard work. And I know that you are aware that your… presence is more than suspicious."

Toroku had nodded and stood up, his eyes filled with determination, and he bowed again just like hours before toward the two men. He looked up, and smiled at the old man at the table, then to Minato.

"I won't disappoint you. And I never go back on my word. That is my nindo." Minato smiled at the pleasant sight and he was really glad that this sentiment remained from the boy's previous life. Sarutobi nodded in response.

"You can go now. I'm sure there is a lot you two wanted to talk about."

The two blonds nodded and stood up, while Minato grabbed his arm.

"Come on, I'll give you a lift."

"No, No, No wai…!" The two blonds disappeared from the room and Sarutobi was sure that the soundproof walls of the Interrogation and Torture department wouldn't be enough to restrain the yells of Toroku.

'_I hope you made a good decision Minato…'_

* * *

When the two blonds appeared at the Interrogation and Torture department in the middle of Toroku's room, he was surprised. Surprised that he wasn't going to die. He was panting heavily, a little bit shaky, but not as bad as it was the first time when that bastard used Hiraishin on him. He looked at Minato, still angry, but more confused, and he just made a grin in return.

"It always gets better and better. I don't even feel anything, but for the first ten times I looked much worse than you for your first time. I had to lay down after I lost my lunch."

"How does it work?"

"There is a seal in your room. I used that to have one base point as the destination and my starting point to another. I use a time-space ninjutsu to transport myself between the two points. Actually, it's much more trickier than that, but something like that in short."

Toroku's anger flashed away and they sat down on the bed side by side without a word. An awkward silence fell upon them, but neither of the blonds dared to break it. Neither of them knew what they should say to the other. Finally, Toroku opened his mouth,

"You know, I don't think I previously had anybody as a parent figure, or a brother." Minato just raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because, when I need certain knowledge it pops up. And now, when I'm looking for something about a family, there's nothing…" Minato smiled at Toroku.

"Then, it's time for the both of us to learn something new." The blond teenager smiled back, but the silence came back between them.

"What should I call you?"

"Well, I would really appreciate that within the team, you call me sensei like the others. But beyond that, time will make that decision for us."

"Well then sensei, you'll be teaching me, right?" Minato raised a suspicious eyebrow at the blond.

"Well, yeah…"

"Then teach me that teleportation technique." Minato just stared at him in disbelief, then burst out laughing.

"Why? I thought you hated it?" Toroku just rolled his eyes while his company still chuckled.

"Yeah, that's true, but it seems very useful too."

"In time. It's not an easy technique, you know. Besides, Kushina would kill me if I taught it to you before her."

"Who is she?"

"You know, she's my... girlfriend." Minato shuffled on the bed a little.

"Anyway, pack anything you want, and rest now. You had a long day, and so did I. I'll get you tomorrow morning and you can move into the apartment. And also prepare for some introductions." The blond got up from the bed and started to wave goodbye when he was stopped.

"Minato!"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what, exactly?"

"For everything." Minato looked confused, but when he saw Toroku's wide grin, he just mimicked it and waved his hand, then disappeared in a flash of gold, leaving the teen alone in his small room. The blond leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, still grinning. He was happy. Really happy.

* * *

The next morning came with record speed. Not that Toroku had too many things to pack, but still way too fast. Minato told him yesterday that he would introduce him to people, and he was sure that those would be his girlfriend and the team. He really wanted to make a good first impression, and now as he looked into the small mirror in the bathroom with his bed hair, he couldn't do anything else but grimace at his image when he felt the familiar chakra signature appear outside the room.

A minute later a blond head peaked inside the slightly opened bathroom door.

"Morning. Are you ready?"

"Just minute," he answered casually while fighting with his spiky hair, which now pointed in every direction it shouldn't.

"You know, I think you just made it worse." Toroku sent an angry look toward Minato, then he ruffled his hair in his frustration.

"Still the same."

"Argg! I don't care. Let's go."

"Anything to carry?"

"No, everything's in my pocket."

"Then let's get out of here." Minato placed his hand onto Toroku's shoulder to disappear in a blink, leaving the white room behind.

They were now standing in front of a light orange door. Toroku shook his head, and placed his still trembling left hand onto his forehead when uneasy groan left his soft lips as he felt the way softer side effect of the technique, while Minato pushed a small metal key into his other.

"Here. You're first." Toroku stared down into his palm, examining the small key in his hand and smiled as the cold key started to take over his body heat, until he could only feel the curves of the metal. He pushed it into the keyhole, turning slowly, enjoying every moment of his first step into his new life.

The apartment was small but still much bigger and inviting than his small hole before. It had a normal sized sitting room with a table and a smaller couch, an open kitchen, and there was also a very small eating corner. He walked around to find out where the other two doors lead. He found a small bathroom and a bedroom with a single bed, but what caught his eye were the empty shelves, which filled the whole wall from corner to corner with a small desk in front of it. Toroku approvingly nodded at the sight and immediately tried out his new bed. It was nice and comfortable. He looked toward the small window, which let the sunbeams into his room, revealing millions of slowly dancing dust motes. Minato leaned against the door frame, watching as the teenager relaxed on his new bed.

"I spoke with Sarutobi-sama this morning. They furnished the apartment with some stuff, but he also sent this." Minato gave a small envelope to the lying Toroku, who was now watching him curiously.

"What's this?"

"This is an allowance, to cover your first month's costs until you can earn enough from the missions. We will need to buy some stuff. Like equipment, clothes, and food. I thought after this we could start with a small introduction, then get that stuff before you meet the rest of the team." Toroku nodded as he stood up to face with Minato, when he felt the familiar touch on his shoulder and they appeared in a different room. Toroku shook his head and touched his forehead to calm down his slowly spinning brain.

"I thought that you lived next-door?" he muttered while he was still rubbing his temporal.

"Indeed, yes." Toroku's eyes widened.

"You can't be serious, using that move a distance less than ten meters to the side, can you?" Minato just shrugged while he was walking toward the kitchen and grabbed a glass.

"Juice?" Toroku just watched him in disbelief.

"You're a lazy bastard! I'm sure that the whole town is filled with your shit! I'm sure even every room of this apartment is filled with it, actually!

"I like this guy." Toroku spun around to meet a wildly grinning woman, with long, ruby red hair, leaning against a door frame with her hands folded around her waist. He was too busy scolding Minato to sense her presence.

"It's nice to meet you, Toroku-kun. I heard a lot about you. And yes, he is a lazy bastard who can't even walk to the toilet at night. He'd rather use his Hiraishin." Minato only rolled his eyes in annoyance from the kitchen, moving a hand toward the woman.

"Toroku-kun, let me introduce Uzumaki Kushina."

The teen stared at her in disbelief, his eyes wide and he felt his mouth fall open. He spirited away from the small room, from Konoha, from the Fire country, away from everything, inside his mind, where a foggy picture flew tenderly inside his thoughts. Someone smiling at him, but he couldn't see her well, only the soft silhouette. A voice of a woman, full of love and care, distant, but still soft and heartwarming, echoed in his mind. _"I love you."_

"Everything alright?" Toroku shook his head to clear his thoughts and smiled at the ruby-haired beauty in front of him.

"Yes, thank you. It's nice to meet you too. I'm Odoroki Toroku." He bowed politely, then tilted his head still examining the girl in front of him, rambling away again.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"Ah, no, no. I was just admiring your hair…" Kushina immediately tensed at the statement, narrowing her eyes.

"What about my hair?"

"It's just…beautiful..." The hard expression immediately melted away from Kushina's face, replaced with a familiar soft, warm smile as she moved toward the boy to place a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I really like you." If Toroku ever felt himself embarrassed, he was wrong. His whole face, even his ears were now burning like an inferno, melting away his tanned skin, which glowing now with in bright crimson color. She turned toward Minato, who was leaning against the dining table, his eyes narrowed at the previous scene.

"Hey Toroku-kun. As the introductions are now over, let's get going. We have a lot of things to do."

"Where are you going?"

"Shopping. And No. No way you can come. I want to finish it fast and I think so does he."

Kushina didn't answer, just stuck out her tongue and walked away to hop down on the couch. But she still sent a warm smile toward the still brilliant red young teenager. Minato shrugged then turned to Toroku.

"Can we go?"

"Yes, but we'll be walking!" Minato waved a hand toward Kushina, who just ignored him, but she waved back to Toroku with a wide smile.

"Crazy woman…" Minato muttered to himself when they left the apartment and headed toward the shops in the town, slowly walking on a narrow backstreet. Their footsteps didn't make any noise, only the slowly flying dust marked their way, when their feet meet with the hard soil.

"You had another flashback, didn't you?"

"Ah, yes, but it was kind of personal, so I don't really want to talk about that if you don't mind." He was scratching his cheek nervously, and Minato smiled back knowingly. _'Girls…'_

"Well I would like to congratulate to you anyway."

"For what?"

"You did a very good job with Kushina. You wound her around your finger. She's quite sensitive about her hair." Toroku gave a confused look in response but then nodded.

When they finished with shopping Toroku felt as if he were a pack-mule, despite most of the stuff being stored tidily into scrolls, thanks to Minato, who was wise enough to bring them so at least the half of the goods could be placed into them. It would be a pain in the ass if he should tote his brand new and indeed heavy three full set of kunais and shurikens with the other things. With around ten minutes of continuous arguing, Toroku was glad that he could convince Minato that twenty packs of instant ramen was crucial inventory of his new apartment, even more than new clothes, but in return he made a promise that he would learn how to cook properly from Kushina, which actually wasn't a big deal. He was already looking forward it.

"Are you sure I need all of these?"

"Well two hours ago you had only one set of clothes, and nothing else, so yes." _'I doubt about that.'_ Actually, Minato packed a lot of things that weren't immediately necessary, like dozens of empty scrolls. However, Toroku had a feeling that he already had a plan with those which would result in long and sleepless nights for him. When they finally arrived to their place he collapsed on the couch, leaning back against its back-rest while putting his arms onto his face to shroud his eyes and stretched out his legs.

"I don't understand women. What could they love about this…?" Minato just grinned at the comment while started to unseal the remaining goods from his scrolls until he finished.

"Put these in their places, settle in, and we'll be awaiting you for dinner at six. If you need anything we'll be here, just knock."

Toroku nodded, not even moving his head toward the blond as he left the room the lazy way again. _'That was tiresome…' _He moved his eyes over to the goods, his arms still rested on his forehead, only shifting them to uncover his eyes. He let out an irritated sigh knowing he would be occupied with the packing almost the whole afternoon. _'If I don't start it now, I'll never do it… But first, a bit of entertainment…' _He shut his eyes to survey his surroundings with a light chakra flow. '_I got you…,'_ he chirped inside his head cheekily and moved to the window and waved toward a cherry tree with a grin, where he knew his shadow was hiding and watching him._ 'I can't help it, I just love poking fun at them.' _He moved from the window and let out a small sigh. '_At least there isn't any windows in the bathroom.' _He finally turned to the big pile with an irritated groan to face with his new obstacle.

* * *

At exactly six o'clock, Toroku had been standing in front of a door only five meters from his own, pale orange one. He wasn't as worried as before. The meeting with Kushina calmed down his nerves, but he could feel that they tensed again. Meeting with a team. He was standing in his newly bought outfit, a pair of black pants, a pair of standard shinobi sandals, and a white t-shirt with an orange spiral like pattern on its front. He let out a breath and knocked on the door, which was flung open immediately.

"I really started to wonder if you would stay out here or come in in the end." Toroku made an apologetic smile toward Kushina.

"Nervous?"

"A little," he shrugged.

"You don't need to be.

She caught his wrist after he left his sandals at the door, and she literally dragged him inside the sitting room, straight toward a big couch, where Minato was sitting together with a young girl with shoulder-length brown hair and two purple rectangles on each of her cheeks.

"Just in time, Toroku. Nohara Rin, this is Odoroki Toroku, our new team member." Toroku made a low bow and moved closer to the duo sitting around the small table filled with snacks and drinks, hopping down next to Minato.

"Nice to meet you." Rin smiled back at him and he looked around the apartment, looking for the fourth member of the team, whom he had already met.

"Minato, the fourth member is Kakashi-kun isn't he?" Minato let out a sigh an nodded.

"Indeed, but he will be late…"

"You look much better Toroku-kun since I last saw you." Confusion ran across his face. He tilted his head to the side as he eyed the young kunoichi curiously .

"You know, we already met once. We found you on the training ground with Kakashi-kun. I was the one who gave you first aid. You looked pretty bad, I really didn't think you would survive." Toroku just blinked and bowed his head.

"Well, thank you for saving my life. I owe you one." He sent a wide smile toward the brown girl and looked after the outgoing Kushina.

An awkward silence fell onto the small group. Minato didn't know how to act with his newly found brother, and vice versa, and Rin… she didn't know how to react to them either, seeing their tension. Thank Kami a hurricane came into the room named Kushina with a tray filled with cups and a bottle of sake. Minato raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't dare to make a comment. He was grateful. She put it down on the table and hopped next to Rin with a wide smile. She eyed Toroku curiously and switched back and forth between the two blonds for half a minute.

"You know, even without that test everyone could tell the obvious…" Rin's head flung up and raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"What do you mean by that, Kushina-san?" She blinked toward Minato, who let out an irritated sigh.

"You didn't tell them?"

"No, what do you think tonight's gathering was for? I won't run from house to house just for that."

Before she could throw back a harsh comment, a knock could be heard from the door and Minato utilized the opportunity to flee to it, coming back later with Kakashi and hoping that Kushina calmed down during the brief interval. He had calculated well, she was eyeing Toroku again from head to toe, fully ignoring him after he waved a hand toward Kakashi.

"Kakashi-kun, you already met Toroku-kun. Take a seat and serve yourself." When everybody sat down, Kushina caught the opportunity to push Minato to the issue with a light hit from her elbow into the blond's ribs.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." He cleared his throat, switching his tone to the leader of the team.

"I think you already figured it out, but from today forward we have a new team member. Chuunin Odoroki Toroku joined our village. I have spoken with Hokage-sama and he agreed to get us back to active duty the day after tomorrow. We will meet at nine at the usual place tomorrow for a little shake up." Toroku raised an eyebrow at the statement, but before he could ask anything Minato continued, "I'll pick you up."

"And also, before any rumors start to rise, I would like to clear some things about our new team mate, if you agree Toroku-kun." He nodded while shifting on the couch.

"Toroku-kun had only joined to Konoha's shinobi forces a day ago, and before that he wasn't the part of the village. He lost his memories." Rin turned toward Toroku with a wondering look and eyed the teen from head to toe, making him shiver.

"You really don't remember a thing?" He shook his head.

"Yes, that is the case." Kakashi narrowed his eyes, observing the blond suspiciously and barked out toward him, earning an angry look from Minato.

"If you don't remember, you could be anyone. A murderer, for example, or a spy…" Toroku raised an eyebrow, but something in his chest squeezed at those words.

"Kakashi, I think you aren't in a position to judge anything like that..." Minato narrowed his eyes toward his silver haired student, who was staring back at him stubbornly. After a minute of silent fighting, Kakashi moved his eyes toward Rin and just shrugged in his annoyance. Minato let out a long sigh and slowly shook his head at the reaction of his student.

"There is one more thing. Yesterday revealed that he has a relative here in Konoha."

Rin narrowed her eyes, as did Kakashi as they now looked toward the two blonds sitting next to each other.

"And that is you." Kakashi stated without any hint of surprise, as he eyed the teen again more suspiciously, who in turn tried to tune out the disturbing tone of his voice, his previous behavior and the cold piercing eye. He was now annoyed. _'Calm down…Don't hit him… Don't hit him…'_

"Well, actually, yes. It seems that we are brothers…"Minato nervously scratched the back of his head and looked to the still silent Toroku with a smile.

"Anyway, I would like to ask you to help him while he settles down." Toroku rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You know, I'm not a child."

"How old are you actually?" asked Kushina curiously, but she received only a blank look.

"I don't know, around eighteen." He made a shrug and looked back at Kushina.

"Well, then we have to choose a birthday for you, don't we?" Toroku had tilted his head to the side in his surprise, and smiled.

"Eh, yes. Maybe."

"Then from now on it will be today. I already have something in mind." Toroku raised an eyebrow and looked at Minato, who just shrugged.

"Anyway, first I have this small bottle of fine sake, for celebration, and I think this is a good opportunity for that. One sip for the two brats and a normal portion for the three of us. Like the idea? Good. Then please, the cups."

After the drink was portioned, Minato stood up to make a toast.

"To the new friends. And to the lost ones." The mood immediately tensed between the two young ninja, but they also raised their cups and drank it. Kushina slowly shook her head as the depression spread across the small trio. _'Minato, you're an idiot… you may be a genius, but you're still an idiot.'_

Kakashi stared down to his lap after the pledge, buried in his thoughts. Emotions ran through his mind, but his only visible eye was cold as ice when the final one raised on his face. Anger.

"He isn't worth him…" The one eyed young boy muttered angrily, his eye focused on his cup on the desk while his hands rested on his knee. Minato narrowed his eyes and Kakashi clenched his hands into fists as he let his anger free.

"He isn't worth him! No one is worth him!" Everybody tensed as the atmosphere became heavy around them.

"Enough!" Minato barked out in a commanding voice. He was now again the leader of the team, as he switched the roles.

"No one could replace Obito! He is just an intruder, an outsider! He could be a spy, or an assassin who is after your life! "

Kakashi had risen from his seat unconsciously, his muscles tensed and his fists clutching painfully as the joints of his hand whitened by the strain. He looked at the blond with pure hatred in his eyes and stormed away from the room, leaving behind the others in an awkward silence and Toroku with shocked, wide eyes. Minato had let out a sigh as he started rubbing his forehead with closed eyes, the feeling of an oncoming headache rising within it. Finally, Rin broke the silence after a long, tensed minute.

"I apologize for his behavior. Please forgive him Toroku-kun, we've had a hard time the last three weeks." Rin's voice was soft, and sad as it died to whispering in the end. He just answered with a sad smile, as he didn't know what to say. His first reaction was anger, then confusion, but when he saw the tension and the reactions from the others, he restrained himself to jump at Kakashi before he left the room.

"Well, that went better than I expected…." Kushina stated calmly while she sipped the sake in her hand, earning a confused look from Toroku.

"Would someone please be so kind as to enlighten me on what the hell that was?" the blond teen asked the people around him, earning another minute of tense silence, which was broken by Kushina.

"Obito was their teammate. He died during their last mission in Iwa three weeks ago, and since then they were off duty."

"I'm sorry about that…" Toroku shook his head slowly and fixed his eyes on the floor.

"Don't bother yourself about him. He will calm down in time when you know each other better."

"I doubt about that." Toroku leaned back on the couch and folded his hands in front of his chest with narrow eyes while Minato still rubbed his head in silence. Rin was again the one who tried to temper the mood.

"It will be okay. I promise." She sent a heartening smile toward the boy, who replied with a small doubting smile, but he felt the atmosphere of the room lighten.

"So, who's hungry?!" Kushina burst out loudly with absolute contrast of the past few minutes, earning grateful smiles from the group while they moved to the kitchen.

The remaining time of the night passed in a much better mood, but the shadows of Kakashi's outburst was still hanging awkwardly above them. The night ended and Rin left the apartment, leaving the blonds and Kushina behind. When the redhead moved toward the kitchen to clean up the remains of their dinner, Minato turned toward Toroku at the doorstep.

"I'm really sorry about what happened. But please try to understand his feelings." Toroku shrugged before he answered with a calm tone.

"It's okay. I know that I still have a long way to go before I earn anyone's trust, including yours." He let the silence fall between them again. "I'm prepared…"

Minato just nodded before Toroku left the apartment, watching him silently as he disappeared behind the door.

* * *

The next morning was awkward. When they arrived at the training ground where Toroku was found, the remaining members of the team were already waiting for them. The blond gratefully noted that the training ground was repaired, the large crater, which emitted the disgusting scent of his blood had disappeared, and only the lack of the green grass pointed that something had happened there before. Kakashi changed his tactics toward the young blond, he was now just simply ignoring his presence, not even bothering to look in his direction, like he was simply invisible. And that was a bad tactic against him.

When Toroku got up, he was determined to get along with Kakashi after the last night, but now his muscles tensed and he felt the anger spread across his chest, but he got over the temptation to punch the face of the arrogant, silver-haired shrimp._ 'I hate being ignored, I can't stand this feeling. It would be much better if he just started to shout.'_ Rin greeted him with a kind smile and a small wave of her hand as they reached the duo next to three thick poles.

"Before we start active duty, it would be essential for all of you to properly know each other's fighting style and to make a small team strategy accordingly." Kakashi turned his head spectacularly away from Toroku, earning an angry tension of muscles from the teen and a mimicked movement from him in response. Unfortunately they weren't aware of Minato's rolling eyes and Rin's slowly shaking head.

"What we are going to do Minato-sensei?" Rin was again the first to speak. This caught Kakashi's attention and he finally slowly turned toward their leader, still aware to not even let the minimal sight of the blond teen into the corner of his eyes.

"It will be very simple." Minato was now grinning. "Catch me. You have until dinner time to do so."

Then, with a puff of smoke, he disappeared, leaving whirling leaves and the three teens in the clearing. Rin turned toward the others with pleading eyes, finding herself between the two irritated boys back to back with each other. The girl slowly shook her head again and let out a sigh at the childish behavior.

"Please, for Kami's sake put aside your differences, or we will be wiped out in a minute. We have to act like a team if we even want to find him." Toroku turned toward Rin and glanced at Kakashi's back with a snort, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and turning away again.

"Not until he acknowledges my presence." Rin let out an irritated sigh and turned toward Kakashi.

"Please…" The young masked ninja narrowed his eyes, but nodded to the girl.

"We are going to split up. Rake over the area, and if someone finds him, alert the others with a small chakra signal."

"That would also inform Minato about our presence and he'll just Hiraishin away… I got a better idea," stated Toroku calmly, earning a deadly look from Kakashi.

"I am the jonin here, so I am the commander of this operation…" Toroku just shrugged, but his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Whatever…" _'Arrogant brat…'_

Rin shook her head and let out a hopeless sigh, but she hadn't the willpower to start convincing the young jonin that Toroku was right. "This will be a long day…"

The three shinobi disappeared from the clearing as they jumped toward the woods around the training ground to found the fastest ninja of Konoha, who was watching them from a safe distance on a tree branch with narrowed eyes. _'This isn't going to be good…'_

After two hours of a desperate hide and seek game with small success, the trio gathered again in the middle of the field.

Toroku was unspeakably irritated because of Kakashi's annoyance, they wouldn't catch Minato like that, despite his sensing skills, but he also didn't want to act on his own. And Minato was good. If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't. He almost scared his ANBU to death when he appeared in front of her to ask if she saw Minato somewhere, earning a flying kunai toward his head and an almost ten minute long argument with the bird-masked woman.

"Can I speak now, _jonin_ Kakashi?" Toroku asked with undisguised sarcasm in his tone, earning an angry look from him and an irritated "Tch."

"Whatever."

* * *

The yellow flash of Konoha was standing on the previous branch, eying his team curiously, when he let out a small yelp of surprise and almost fell from the tree and onto his ass if he couldn't caught a branch. The place suddenly filled with replicas of Toroku. Not a dozen, not fifty, but easily two or three hundred, which were now charging toward the four winds of the compass, including his direction. He realized that his mouth was open and he grinned as he shut it. _'Now, this is starting to become interesting.'_

As the clones flooded the place, Minato had to be more and more aware where to Hiraishin. The whole training ground was already filled with his seals, as he prepared them as soon as he disappeared for the first time. However, he felt that maybe it wouldn't be enough this time. The rush was intense and continuous. Whenever he dispelled a clone, at least two replaced it in a second as the knowledge of his location flowed back to them. He found some clones of the other two team members mixed into the small army to distract him, which was actually almost successful when he faced a wildly grinning and laughing Kakashi after he appeared in a small clearing.

After half an hour of continuous chasing without a break, he started to feel the effects. He had to admit, the tactic was good, and only with the sheer amount of clones could they tip toed him continuously, leaving no time to recover. He sent a kunai toward a charging clone to dispel it, when three more appeared behind him to jump on his back. He easily deflected the attack with a roll to his left, where a fourth Toroku was already waiting for him, grinning.

He used his Hiraishin to appear in a small clearing away from the mass he left, when an odd and cold feeling caught his leg. Minato looked down, to see Rin's familiar jutsu, as he started to sink into the ground, feeling as it hardened around his ankles. He sighed, and when he attempted to use his jutsu to escape from the trap, electricity ran across his spine, blocking his movement and mind to prevent his escape. At the moment the more disturbing than painful feeling disappeared, he felt three hands on himself and he looked at the grinning Toroku, the softly smiling Rin and the emotionless Kakashi.

"We got you…" Toroku stated with a sing-song voice.

"Indeed. I have to admit you did a great job with this trap, but don't let the victory go to your head."

When he finished the sentence, three blond clones appeared without a sound behind them, each pointing a kunai to the back of their heads. In the blink of an eye, Minato was out of his prison without any effort and smiled proudly at their team when the clones disappeared.

"Still, I think you all deserves a reward. I'm glad you managed the task."

"Tch." Kakashi was evidently irritated by the success of Toroku's plan.

"I think it's time for lunch, everyone. Let's head to Ichiraku." He earned a cheerful "Yeah!" from Toroku, a smiling nod from Rin, and an irritated groan from Kakashi as they turned to head into the village.

* * *

"Don't stare at me! You're annoying!" Kakashi stated with a death glare toward Toroku, who just made a shrug at the comment, and continued to watch the boy from the other end of the counter. He was so dam curious about how the young jonin managed eating in a way that he couldn't peek behind his mask, not even for a millisecond.

"Hey Kakashi! You got some kind of disease?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes and sent quite a large amount of killer intent toward the blond.

"Or you got a hair-lip, or ugly teeth, or what?" Minato chuckled between the boys while Rin just rolled her brown eyes in her annoyance. _'They've been doing this since we arrived…'_

Kakashi ignored the blond and he turned away from him to finish his meal as fast as he could manage, in order to finally get rid of the annoying company.

When everybody finished their meal, they sat in silence, enjoying their filled stomachs, when Minato turned toward them.

"I think that was enough for today. Now, everybody go home and rest. We will have a real mission tomorrow and I doubt it will be a D rank…."

The small group nodded and waved a hand as farewell, except Kakashi, who was still irritated by the blond, though not as much as yesterday or in the morning. Minato shook his head as he left for his apartment with Toroku.

* * *

The small team hopped from tree to tree to arrive as fast as they just could to their destination. They were heading toward one of the guard posts, close to the border of Kusagakure and the land of fire, to transfer equipment scrolls to the infantry forces, and gain report scrolls for the Hokage. It was simple and Minato was satisfied with their first mission. He was grateful to Sarutobi for that. The team wasn't ready for anything more until they shaped back to their old selves and Toroku settled down into the teams daily routine. The fights with Iwa seems to be over, however their mission's destination was more than disturbing. They were too close to the bad memories of their last mission, but it still held much less risk than the other front of the war with Kumo.

Minato wanted to finish the mission in record time, within two days. One there, one back, staying at the post for the night to rest. He moved at near-full tilt, only slow enough that the remaining members of his team could keep up with him without over-straining themselves. However, it was still insanely fast compared to normal travel speed. During their trip Minato watched Toroku curiously, wondering how he would perform during his first real mission. Until this point he was satisfied with Toroku's behavior.

When they left Konoha, he was cheerful, glad that he could be out of the gates and out of the ANBU investigation, and he instantly picked on Kakashi to rile him up during their trip. Minato looked back over his shoulder and smiled as the two young boys argued at the back of the team about something trivial. _'Just like with Obito.'_ He sigh and turned backwards to face with them, still hopping from branch to branch fully aware of his surroundings and the dangerously approaching branches at head level. He easily avoided them and hopped up, still traveling backwards. He rested his eyesight on Rin, whose face was a bit more ruddy than usual, then moved it toward the boys. They seem to be fighting, but Minato knew that they were also paying attention to their environment as they immediately stopped the arguing and flung their heads toward him as soon as he faced with them. _'If only they focused their energy on the task at hand, we could have traveled faster, but still, I'm amused at Toroku's stamina. Even Kakashi's winded, yet he hasn't even broken a sweat.'_

"We are approaching the borders and we will reach our destination within two hours. Move to formation and be aware of everything around you. And from now on, not a sound if it is not about life or death."

The three shinobi nodded, and placed themselves where they should be, forming a straight line, with Toroku at the back of Kakashi, who was now looking at Rin's back. She was centered to the middle as the only medical ninja in the team who could help them if necessary.

The woods were silent, not even the cries of animals could be heard. Only their faint footsteps echoed amongst the trees as they were jumping and landing on the branches, making faint sounds to disturb the silence. The sun's last strong beams needled through the leaves, painting abstract light patters on their faces.

They traveled in complete silence with sharpened senses, without a word until they reached their destination just before twilight, a little bit drained by their insane speed. Thanks to Minato's hard training the two veteran members were already used to this, and the new member also seemed familiar with the pace. Their trip was luckily uneventful, thank Kami, but when they arrived at the post Toroku's eyes widened and his mouth fell open from the loud cheer by which the remaining shinobi greeted Minato. When the hand shaking and shoulder clapping was finally over, he raised an eyebrow at Minato, demanding an explanation, but he just waved his hand in his irritation. Toroku narrowed his eyes as he watched Minato and Kakashi march out from the small bunker and then turned to Rin for any hint.

"Is he some kind of celebrity, or what?" Rin chuckled and shook her head, still laughing.

"Kind of… in our last mission he took out almost the entire force of the remaining Iwa ninjas that attacked near this guard post. Alone. So yes, you could say that he is famous. Most of the people here are alive only because of him."

Toroku felt pride and he was in awe. _'My only known relative is a war hero…'_

"Wow. He's awesome…"

"Yes, he is." Rin sent a sad smile back at him. They left the bunker to follow the others without a word, both buried in their own thoughts; one in sorrow, one in warm pride.

* * *

Toroku's night was sleepless, due to the guards all over the facility and his sore muscles because of the long run. He couldn't sleep. The moon was already high in the inky black sky, and he was nervous. His senses sharpened subconsciously as his stress level grew. He was now extremely tense, because of his senses, that he couldn't even concentrate on suppressing them to a tolerable level. He could smell the dry blood at a faraway battlefield, and the scent of the animals in the woods. A bird shoot up from a nearby tree and he jerked up from his sleeping bag at the sudden noise.

"Hey, relax and sleep, or you'll faint tomorrow…" he heard Minato's faint muttering next to him as he turned around to face with the sitting boy.

"I'm trying… but my senses just won't settle down and it's irritating like hell." He put his head into his palm, trying to ignore the continuously tapping animals and the smells of his environment. He let out an irritated groan and leaned back, trying to focus his mind on somewhere else, resting his crossed arms on his face.

Toroku sneaked a peek at Minato between his arm to see he was now leaning against his wrist and watching him with a curious face.

"What?" Minato just shrugged and leaned back, his head resting on his arms, to watch the night sky filled with sparkling stars. Toroku let his arms fall to his side and he sat up again, watching Minato hesitantly.

"Hey, Minato."

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"It depends…" Toroku rolled his eyes in the black night and he looked over his shoulder, where Rin and Kakashi laid in the same standard sleeping bag, evidently occupied by their dreams.

"What happened on your last mission?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious. Furthermore, I want to understand them..." He sneaked a peek behind him at the two sleeping shinobi again. Minato let out a sigh.

"It was three weeks ago, we split up. I came here to fight with the remaining Iwa forces. They outnumbered us, and not just a little." Toroku nodded. He already knew about this. He was curious about Obito, but he didn't want to ask Rin or Kakashi.

"And they?" Toroku's muscles tensed, as he heard an almost unnoticeable soft noise. He didn't move, but he saw Minato's silent nod with his eyes, that it was okay.

"They had another mission at the Kannabi bridge. During it, Rin was captured, and when Kakashi and Obito went to save her, Obito died. I arrived too late." Silence fell amongst them, until Minato continued.

"Obito was an Uchiha. He was able to active his doujutsu, and before he died he offered it to Kakashi, who lost his left eye during the rescue attempt… Kakashi blames himself for his death…."

"You know, Obito was like you in some ways. I'm sure you would have gotten along well. He was loud and cheerful, sometimes clumsy, and he was always late." Minato smiled as he remembered the shrimp with the orange goggles.

"Kakashi is his absolute polar opposite. A silent, tempered little prodigy who worships the rules… or he was, until that time..." Minato shook his head.

"Give him some time, please…" Toroku nodded and leaned back to settle down in his sleeping bag again. Somehow, knowing this was calming down his aching nerves, and he now at least had something on his mind to focus on. It took only five more minutes before he finally fell asleep.

"You should also sleep, Kakashi…"

The young boy flinched in the sleeping bag as he laid with his back pointing to his sensei, staring in front of him to the nothingness. One of his eyes had been flaring with faint ruby light into the darkness of the night, before it disappeared when he closed his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yes, this little story is positioned exactly after the battle of at Kannabi Bridge. They found Naruto only days after the team had returned to Konoha after Obito's "death".

I would like to ask for your help. I need supporting casts, so if you have got an OC and you would like them to show them in this story in the background, send a pm with the details of them. Of course it would be credited and never ever claimed to be my characters.

I want to thank you for all the favs, follows and the constructive critics.

If you like my writing, check out my drawings on deviantart. Link in my profile.


	6. Chapter 6 – Results of Hard Work

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime (** u/947576/), without him, I am lost.

**Original Upload date: 05/12/2012  
**

**Last update: none  
**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 6. – Results of Hard Work  
**

* * *

They arrived in Konoha in record time, to Minato's full pleasure, and the travel was eventless. Even Toroku had been cutting down on his taunting of Kakashi after their small talk. Well, not actually completely, but he was obviously restraining himself. Minato was very pleased with their performance. They dismissed the team at the gates of Konoha and he headed toward the Hokage tower to make his report to Sarutobi.

Toroku tensed as he instantly felt the familiar chakra signal of his shadow when turning toward his apartment, hopping from rooftop to rooftop to shorten his way, in which a satisfying shower and the comfort of his bed awaited him. However, the temptation was just too great. He grinned and jumped toward a nook, landing gracefully in front of a surprised and attack-ready female ANBU.

"Yo! You miss me, ANBU-san?" He gained an irritated "Tch" from the young woman with a bird mask and she instantly hopped out of his sight, leaving the still grinning Toroku "alone," who afterward continued his way after a quick shrug for his deserved shower and sleep.

* * *

The next day passed without event after their arrival, and Toroku spent most of the day with Minato and Kushina, who forced the visit on him. He knew what game Kushina played. She wanted to help build their relationship and he was thankful for that, because he was clueless on how exactly to start it. Her cheery presence always helped them out if the familiar, awkward silence enveloped them during their conversations. Minato talked about his family, about his mother, and about their seemly shared father, and he found out that Minato's parents died during his Academy years when he was still very young. He even managed to see some photos of his parents.

Another awkward silence fell onto them and Minato left the situation by excusing himself to the kitchen to get some drinks. The conversation-savior was again the redhead as she arrived in the living room like a hurricane, with dozens of scrolls in her hands and some tucked under her arms.

"Hey Minato, I've got everything that we need from the library to continue with our pet project."

"Great!"

He moved next to her to help with the scrolls and moved them into their bedroom to place them tidily in one of the empty x-shaped shelves on the wall. Minato hopped down onto the chair to get quite a large scroll and laid it open on the desk while he selected another from the new pile. He began to read, frowning heavily.

"Sorry I stole your company. He'll likely be lost in his work for hours," Kushina said as she came toward Toroku with an apologetic look.

"It's okay, Kushina-san."

"Don't call me that. It's just Kushina. That makes me feel old."

"Then the same goes for you, also."

Toroku gave her a foxy grin after he nodded, and he was surprised when she mimicked him, though in a more tempered way. It wasn't as much animalistic as his, but still held a hint of it. He really enjoyed Kushina's company. His heart always felt much lighter when he was near the redhead. He found out that they shared a common interest. Namely pranking and irritating the ANBU.

For the remaining time in the dining room, Toroku helped her with the refining of a very sneaky prank that included pink hair dye and the Inuzuka clan's monthly grooming routine. When they finished most of the planning, the blond's interest turned toward his relative in the next room.

"What's he doing?" The redhead paused for a moment with a wondering look, thinking of what she should say, when an excited yelp reached them.

"That was pretty fast," Kushina grinned to the confused Toroku while they moved toward the bedroom to stand behind Minato, who was now writing on the big scroll, frowning in concentration. Toroku waited, wondering when he would stick out his tongue, but instead he looked up from his work when he finished the last symbol to turn to Kushina.

"Finally, I know where we moved in the wrong direction. " The yellow flash of Konoha now looked like a ten year old boy on his birthday. Kushina moved closer as they looked at the wide scroll and Minato started explaining, pointing to several parts of the complex drawing.

"Look. Here. I just had to reverse these two symbols, and with this little alteration it will become more stable, but still flexible enough to work as we wanted. However, this could also react with its resistance, but it will still be powerful enough to deflect an upper B-ranked jutsu." The redhead frowned above the blond, examining every part of the scroll.

"Hmm, we're close, but still not close enough to our goal."

Toroku moved closer to them as he also started to examine the image in front of him. The complex pattern formed an averted square, surrounded by several symbols, kanji, and marks in various directions pointing to the inside of the whole pattern, where a small spiral was centered in the surrounding symbols. Toroku frowned while he examined the seal. His eyes traveled around every inch, noticing every curve and every line, every single brush stroke on the fine paper. He tilted his head to the side, waited for a moment, then reached for Minato's hand, which was still holding the brush. The couple froze at that movement, eying him curiously as he took the brush from the blond's hand, leaned forward between them, and started to paint extra symbols on the fine scroll, frowning, without pause.

Minato watched with wide eyes as his newly found relative moved toward the seal, not daring to even breath as he observed the fine hands working fast and precociously, without any mistake on the pattern, or even an unnecessary movement of his hand. Not a misplaced stroke, not a shaky line, nothing. Every brush stroke was perfect. He looked over to Kushina, who also mimicked his face, her eyes wide and her mouth had fallen open as she stared at the working teen. After ten minutes of work Toroku leaned back to examine his work from a distance as he tilted his head and tapped his chin, only to lean back again and continue for another fifteen minutes in total silence.

When he was finally ready, he put down the brush in its place, and only then was he brought back to reality. The blond frowned and scratched his cheeks, while he thought.

"As you reversed the two symbols, you messed up the barrier's whole chakra circulating system by pairing two contrasting elements. However, you tried to encompass it with these symbols, but it would still remain unstable, and as you already said, it would affect the efficiency. With the water and the earth symbol here, and here, it will be more balanced, and with the additional kanji I used on the meridian it will become more powerful. A small power upgrade is always good. I also added a wind symbol here, so the barrier will be more manageable, and with this little guy here I modified the barrier's restraining level. It'll still be stable from the outside, but it'll also allow you to attack from the inside, kinda like a one-way road. "

Toroku tilted his head and tapped his chin while frowning as he thought, not bothering himself with the two frozen shinobi at his side.

"You used the compass rose as the base, which is good if you want to create a strong, generic barrier, but not too creative. If you use the guardians of the beams you could create a more flexible one and, of course, a more effective one with much less chakra usage."

He looked from Minato to Kushina with a confused face as he saw their expressions.

"What?" The older blond finally made his mouth move, but only one word left it.

"Shit…" For a long and disturbingly silent minute, they stayed in the same coma-like state.

"I know from Inoichi that you knew fuuinjutsu, but that's…" Kushina chuckled when the amused Minato lifted his two hands and pointed toward the seal. The blond teen looked at him with a confused face.

"You know Toroku, this Blondie here was working on that barrier seal for more than a month, then you come finish it in less than half an hour." Minato finally gathered himself and pushed Toroku into the seat quite hastily while he started to choose random scrolls from the shelf.

"Okay. I'm fucking curious now." Toroku was shocked. He never, ever heard Minato bitching, it was mostly him. He watched as he put down one scroll and rolled it open, pointing at the symbols, but he only looked back with confusion._ 'What the hell do you want from me with this?'_

"What do you see?" The teen looked again at the seal for a minute, frowning.

"That's another barrier seal. However, it shocks the would-be intruder as well, not just keeps him out. Hm, but it could be also modified to increase its stability, because if you attack with a lightning attack it will become weak. " Minato nodded and exchanged it with another, waiting for Toroku's answer, which arrived almost immediately.

"Ew, that's a pretty nasty modified explosion tag."

Minato continued changing the seal scrolls in his hands until all were used, and he received answers for all of them, sometimes immediately as he saw a familiar seal, and other times he had to examine it to figure out its purpose, but none lasted longer than ten minutes.

Minato flopped down onto the bed in front of the desk and eyed his blond relative with a contemplative face. _'Damn, he's good. With barriers he's even better than me. Konoha gained one more seal master.'_ Minato looked at the wildly grinning redhead leaning on the desk behind Toroku, who shrugged at his amused faced, while she refused to let the wide smile leave her face.

"Hey, Minato, give him the scroll. Let's see what he can do with it."

"What scroll?" Toroku was now staring at Minato, frowning suspiciously at him, waiting for his answer. The blond narrowed his eyes and looked back at Kushina for a while, then nodded.

"When you appeared, besides your torn clothes and some modified explosive tags, we found a scroll." Minato wasn't looking at Toroku and almost flinched when the disappointed and angry voice reached him.

"Why didn't you tell me about this!?"

After a silent minute, Minato moved to the desk and handed over a small scroll to the blond from a drawer without a word, nor a look to his eyes. He don't want to see the anger and the betrayal that would greet him in those brilliant blue orbs. Toroku angrily grabbed the scroll out from Minato's hand and quickly turned away from him to examine the only touchable inheritance of his past. He gracefully raced his fingers along the side of the fine paper and closed his eyes. It wasn't ordinary paper, it was the finest he ever felt. No. It wasn't even paper… It was vellum.

He opened his eyes and narrowed them as he examined the scroll, feeling the containment seal. He frowned. A five layered seal. The first layer was blood. The second layer was chakra. The third layer was… another kind of chakra, but not with the standard attributes. The fourth layer was the existence of a specified summoning contract, but the fifth one… He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It just seemed like a jumbled mess.

"What's the fifth layer and how did you open it? Where are my belongings?" Minato gave a confused look at the angry teen.

"I couldn't. I also don't know what's necessary for the fifth layer. I didn't even figure out the third and the fourth until after some sleepless night. It's very tricky…"

"You can't open it, either?" Toroku shook his head and his heart also calmed down when he heard Kushina's soft voice.

"This isn't something from my general knowledge… I don't know, this seems like a big mess of bull and nothing else. No base and no definition, only symbols thrown in randomly. A big mess of chaos." Minato nodded in his agreement, grateful to his redheaded girl for her interjection. Toroku's stomach give a loud lurch and earned a chuckle from the redhead.

"Come on. Let's grab something to eat." The teen gave a wide smile to Kushina as they moved to the kitchen, while Minato was aware not to move too close to his still-tense brother. Fortunately, Toroku wasn't a vindictive person, and finally after another half an hour, the previous incident almost seemed like it had never happened. Almost.

* * *

"Sarutobi-sama."

"We have to act quickly."

Minato nodded when he received the mission scroll from the old man. He started to frown as he read the given information. It seemed to be hit and run mission, the problem was that it would be near the borders of Kaminari no Kuni, where the aftermath fights still held some risk and some Kumo nins still hovered around the border. The mission was simple. Find a missing nin and bring him back. He was heading to Kumo with a very rare and valuable jutsu scroll stolen from the closed section of the library. No one too serious, only a jonin-level ninja, however the scroll contained very sensitive information.

"Gather a four person team and depart immediately." Minato nodded.

"Hokage-sama. I would like to bring Kakashi, Kushina and…Toroku." Sarutobi closed his eyes for several moments considering Minato's request, then finally nodded in approval.

"Be careful…" The blond smiled back from the window and nodded.

Thirty minutes later his small team was standing at the village gates, waiting impatiently for Minato's arrival, shifting from foot to foot, while the two gate guards checked their exit form. Toroku was glad that Minato chose him for his extra private mission, and he was glad that he would see Kushina in action. He was very curious. Any time he asked Minato about her skills, he just chuckled, or changed the subject. Without any antecedent, the missing blond appeared next to redhead.

"Hey Sissy! You're late!"

Toroku's voice was followed by five pairs of raised eyebrows and a chuckle when he received a gentle and amused tapping on his back from Kushina. Minato just rolled his eyes, but it seemed the two chuunin guards next to the gate froze at the moniker. The yellow flash of Konoha was a Sissy?

"Everybody in line, we're departing. Toroku and I will take the lead. Kakashi, Kushina, watch our backs! Cramped run until the borders!"

The four shinobi disappeared into the distance with a simple jump, leaving the still confused chuunin guards behind their desk with their mouths agape.

* * *

Minato forced the team to sprint, jumping on the trees, forking in the clearings, and running straight forward in the green meadows with insane speed. Toroku and Minato found the trail of their rebel ninja not far from the village in the first few hours of their search. Unfortunately, the guy wasn't a fool and he covered up his tracks near perfectly. However, he couldn't keep up with the two blond's senses. Where Minato lost the chakra trail, Toroku would pick up the scent again. It was thought the shinobi had gotten at least half a day's advantage because the damn guards didn't react immediately. _'I'm sure this error will cost them their vests._'

They kept up the pace, and Toroku couldn't help wondering about Kushina's skills and stamina. He never saw her fighting style, nor even a single training move, but she seemed to be in shape. On her off days it seemed that Minato kept his distance from her, watching her every movement so she couldn't take it out on him, so that seemed to say something about her power.

Minato suddenly stopped next to a huge pine. Toroku glanced up toward the sun. They had been traveling for six hours….

"We take a fifteen minute break, no longer, or his lead will grow." Everybody sat down, their senses still sharpened, watching their surroundings, looking for anything suspicious. Minato crouched next to Toroku and Kushina, while Kakashi moved next to a tree trunk to take a soldier pill in order to shape up his muscles.

"I want to place a destination seal on you Toroku, for the Hiraishin." He blinked and suspiciously eyed Minato. It wasn't a request. It was a simple statement, but not quite an order.

"So, you can always sneak behind me wherever I am?" Minato just rolled his eyes and pointed toward the others.

"Everybody on the team has one, save you, and I would be less troubled outside the village if you had one."

The teen just nodded, murmuring under his breath, "Just don't use it while I'm in the bathroom, Sissy…." Said "Sissy" signed for him to turn around. He felt a hand on his neck, and he almost yelped in his surprise when he felt like someone was slowly pouring a bucket of ice cold water down his back. He held back the yelp, but he couldn't control the continuous shivering until Minato finished.

"What the hell was that?"

"That was a permanent marking."

"How permanent?" Minato just smiled and tossed a ration bar to the irritated Toroku.

"Rest now. We will soon depart again."

Toroku let out a sullen snort, but he opened the package of the ugly brown ration bar Minato tossed him and ate it without any noise or complaints. It was disgusting, but his body needed the nutrition from it, and, well, it didn't seem like he would get any ramen any time soon, so there wasn't anything for it. Toroku peeked toward Kakashi, hoping that maybe now he could see what was behind his mask.

"You know, Toroku, curiosity killed the cat…" Kushina said with a small smile on her face, glancing toward the still staring blond companion, who in the end just shrugged.

"It's time to go now. We can't let him slip through the borders or it'll be a lost cause. There would be too much trouble with the ninjas from Kumo if he escapes."

Everybody nodded in agreement and they continued their trip trailing the renegade. They had to hurry. The guy still had at least two hours of leeway and the borders would only be closer and closer as time passed.

* * *

Minato held up his hand and the small group immediately stopped at the side of a bigger clearing, close to the borderline and to their prey. Minato tensed, as did the others. Everything was silent, too silent.

Toroku lightly sniffed at the air, trying to catch anything, but beside their prey's scent on the other side of the opening, he could sense nothing between it. His mind screamed, _'Trouble!'_, without pause. Something was wrong here.

As he tilted his head a little, he saw it in the sunlight. A very faint sparkle, but it was there. A sparkle of a wire in the middle of the clearing, in the height of the green grass, almost invisible. Toroku narrowed his eyes and tapped Minato's arm, pointing toward the thin wire, who nodded in acknowledgment. An obvious trap. But the lack of the trails in the clearing was disturbing. If he could cover his tracks this well, it points to the fact that the rebel deliberately left the trail, and not because he was in hurry. They were lured here…

"Minato…" Kushina whispered behind his back, earning him a shiver as he felt every single hair on the back of his neck was now pointing toward the sky.

"I know…"

Minato gave hand signals to the team to disperse around the clearing, but before anyone could even move, a pale bright light manifested under their feet, revealing the pattern of a perfectly hidden seal. Toroku's eyes widened in shock, and in his surprise, his muscles tensed and his heart felt like it was going to explode as the adrenaline flooded through his system, to move. Yes, to move… But he couldn't even twitch a finger. Just like three weeks ago with the paralysis seals.

A small team appeared at the other side of the clearing where the traitor's trail faintly appeared again. The trees revealed a small group of satisfied Kumo nins, inside another glowing seal. _'A barrier seal. So that's why we couldn't sense them…'_ Toroku moved his eyes to the side toward Minato, unable to move his head, and realized that the other blond stood next to him with closed eyes as his mind raced through the possible plans. The barrier disintegrated around the small group and Toroku heard the accelerating heartbeats and respiration behind from Kakashi and Kushina as their bodies prepared to fight. He fixed his eyes on the small approaching group, forcing his nerves to calm down, as did his brother at his side.

"That wasn't that tough. I expected much more from Konoha's yellow flash… I'm very disappointed… It seems that the tales were just that," one of the approaching ninja barked out with a loud laugh.

"Instead of talking, take them down and move! Hurry!" a commanding voice echoed toward the small group behind the trees, and the Kumo forces immediately tensed and obeyed, moving faster toward them. Minato opened his eyes, and moved them towards Toroku, who gave a nod with his own blue orbs in understanding. It was time to move.

A moment later a yelp echoed from the woods together with a distant thump as something hit the ground behind the bushes. Within a blink of an eye, Minato simply disappeared from the seal and at least twenty exact copies of Toroku exploded from the ground, charging toward the Kumo shinobi.

* * *

Their plan was quite good, despite one small flaw. The enemy secured themselves by blocking their opponents' hand seals, but they didn't count on anyone who could use jutsu without them. And Toroku could, as well as Minato. At the moment the barrier seal disappeared around the Kumo nins, he channeled his Kage Bunshins underground, all around the clearing and one more toward the small group of people, waiting unmoving in the shadows. The clones hid patiently, ready to swing to action when he got the sign from Minato. He made another clone under his feet, only to disappear immediately to send the memory for the others to start the operation.

Plans rushed through Minato's mind. He couldn't move, and he couldn't prepare his special kunai to use Hiraishin. He gave a wide smirk in his mind when he felt Toroku's clones spread underground. _'Good move.'_

* * *

Hell broke loose in the small clearing as the battle began, leaving the trio still under the seal with amused thoughts. Well, except Toroku, who was very well aware of what was happening behind the trees. Three clones appeared in front of them, but they didn't move from their spots. One of them crouched to the ground, examining the still glowing seal, in attempt to remove the paralysis from them, but the constant muttering from the clone revealed that that wouldn't be so easy. He looked over his shoulder to shout to the real Toroku,

"I need more time, Boss!" If he could speak, he would have shouted in his annoyance, but he still managed to press a snarl toward his copy.

A Kumo nin flew toward the barrier and the concentrating clone, as a well aimed blast of wind shot toward his chest. One of the bunshins jumped in the way to disrupt the trajectory of the shinobi, who then crashed to a tree next to the trio. The shinobi dropped to the ground limply.

"Hey! I'm trying to work here!" the clone working on the seal shouted out toward a smaller group of himself, not masking the annoyance in his tone.

The clearing was now filled with fighting Torokus and Kumo nins. A duo at the side of the woods fought with their kunai in a life or death battle. The clone slashed his kunai toward his enemy, who ducked gracefully under his arm, aiming a stab toward the clone's abdomen. Before the weapon could dismiss the clone, he twisted to the side to evade the slash and grabbed his opponent's arm, throwing the surprised ninja onto his back.

A flash of yellow locks appeared next to captured trio and Minato slammed his hand to the ground, dismissing the irritating seal as easily as if it were only a snap of his finger. The pale light faded away and they could relax from their forced pose, only to take a battle-ready position a second later. In the back of the group, Kakashi reached up and raised his Hitai-ate to free his glowing sharingan.

"I thought you forgot about us… I can't handle this stuff this quickly, that's your specialty," Toroku groaned toward the blond with an irritated tone.

"I was busy."

Kakashi opened his mouth in warning as he felt the sparkling of the electricity, however, he hadn't the time to voice it as Toroku slammed his hands onto the ground just like his relative seconds ago, pinning a small piece of paper into the soil. Ink black patterns surged out from the small paper tag, covering them with a faintly glowing purple barrier, locking them away. At that very moment, the ground filled with lightning as the remainder of the blond army disappeared from the battlefield outside of the purple glow with a loud pop, filling the air with smoke and leaving the panting Kumo shinobi behind, untouched by the jutsu. Toroku straightened himself and watched as the barrier faded away slowly.

"Nice move. You should teach that to me," Kushina's cheerful voice reached Toroku's ears, and he scratched his cheek with a smile.

"That was only the prototype. I wasn't even sure it would work because of the size of the tag."

"You can chit-chat at home once we finish this," the until-now silent Kakashi grunted.

The woman turned her ruby head toward the young jonin, but before she could react to the insult, two people walked out of the woods toward the clearing. As they stepped out from the shadows and stopped in the middle of the clearing next to their comrades, Toroku's whole body convulsed and he dropped to one knee when a sudden pain reached his brain. _'No good, no good. Brace yourself! This is a situation!' _He shook his head and glanced up to see Minato's glare at him from the corner of his narrowed eyes.

The newcomers stared at the scene without word, until the tall, muscular, dark-skinned man with sunglasses moved his head toward Minato.

"That Blondie isn't looking too good…"

"Tch, just another sissy," a blond teen girl next to the man snorted, watching as Toroku straightened himself and looked back at her in irritation, followed by the narrow eyes of Minato.

"I'm not a sissy, kitty cat!" The two Kumo shinobi evidently tensed after the sentence, and shared a surprised look, which wasn't missed by Minato's intense blue eyes.

"Who are you?" the dark skinned man asked the young blond with narrowed eyes. At least, Minato thought they were narrowed behind the black sunglasses. It seems Toroku touched something very sensitive with his comment on the girl, but they obviously didn't know him. His muscles tensed, ready to attack any minute.

"Why do you want to know, Bee-san?" It was the yellow flash of Konoha who answered the question, holding a hand in front of Toroku's chest, silencing him, but he received no answer from the small group.

"It doesn't matter… What does matter is that you are about to cross our borders."

"We are trailing a criminal and this isn't the borderline."

"That is a pity. Unfortunately, I can't allow you to pass the line of this clearing."

"I understand. However, we have to catch him."

"So what will happen? Do you want to fight with us?"

Minato narrowed his eyes, as his mind made a quick survey about their chances and tactics while the two teams eyed each other without movement. Disturbing silence had descended in the sunny clearing as each party weighed the options.

'_Kakashi and Toroku could deal with the rest of the Kumo shinobi, and it could be that Bee is a jinchuuriki, but Kushina can handle him. However, I don't know anything about the blond girl next to Bee, but it looks like she is confident and the fact that she stands with a jinchuuriki is disturbing.'_ Bee, as it stands, was the brother of the Raikage, and he didn't want to add more fuel to the flames of the war with another incident. The original plan was to get the deserter inside their borderlines and not to deal with this level of conflict. _'Shit.'_

The question was answered without word when two clones of Toroku jumped down next to Kushina, dragging an evidently unconscious body of a shinobi. His hands and feet were tied tightly with wires and inky black lines of a seal trailed across his forehead. A giant scroll hung from one of the clones' back.

"What the hell took you two so long!?" Toroku barked toward his remaining clones, sheer annoyance blazing in his azure eyes.

"What the…? How did you…?" the teen girl next to Bee hissed, looking at them with wide eyes, mimicking almost everybody's expression except the two blue eyed shinobi.

"Sorry, Boss. That seal was pretty tricky, and Minato-sensei left without a word."

"I almost sent another group to kick your lazy asses."

"Our lazy ass is your lazy ass!" one of the clones barked back and Toroku scratched the back of his head.

"Hehe. Yeah, you're right… Anyway, we got what we came for."

Bee's muscles tensed as he eyed the blond chuunin, measuring him from head to toe. When they bumped into the newest missing ninja of Konoha and he offered the scroll in exchange for his life, they simply put him behind a barrier seal to deal with him later. A seal made by one of their very rare seal masters. A seal which couldn't be detected and couldn't be dismissed without the key. This guy is a tough one. _'Blonds… always the trouble with blonds…'_

"I think our business is done here, Bee-san." Minato straighten himself, but his muscles were still ready to jump any minute if need be.

"I'm sorry Minato-san, but I still can't let you go. We want that scroll. However, you can take back your traitor."

"Like hell we'll let you have it!" Kushina barked out from the background, her always kind and soft voice was now harsh, filled with anger.

"That's really a pity. Then, we have our answer I think. I'm sorry. As I told you before, I was really starting to like you." Minato moved to battle stance and he whispered his orders to their team.

"Kakashi, clones, you guard the scroll. Toroku, back them up when able and handle the remaining Kumo nins. Kushina and I will take care of the other two."

Everybody stayed silent in the clearing, waiting for the other party to make the first move. Wind blew across the field, catching up someone's lost shawl, wriggling it in the air and dropping it in the middle of the opening. Several explosions shook the field as the shawl landed slowly on the almost invisible wire. Using that as a signal, everybody moved, unleashing the tension of the silent wait.

* * *

Around one hundred Torokus appeared in the clearing charging toward the remaining Kumo nins, leaving no time to rest. They had to act fast and get rid of them, to help Minato and Kushina. After this thought left Toroku's mind, the two Konoha shinobi disappeared from the clearing with Bee and the blond girl in the blink of an eye.

Kakashi's muscles tensed as the clone with the huge scroll on his back jumped backward to be as near the jonin as he could manage without blocking his movement. Toroku left five more clones as a backup for the silver haired boy, the remaining clones as well as the blond occupied the Kumo forces quite efficiently thanks to the numbers.

The ground trilled in the clearing as one of the Kumo nins released a powerful lightning attack. A sparkling yellow dragon ran through the opening straight ahead of Kakashi. The dragon knocked out several of his own comrades, and the idiot nin didn't seem to be bothered by this fact, nor that he also could have easily destroyed the precious scroll. However, Kakashi wasn't a jonin for nothing. He jumped out of the way of the attack, leaving the crackling sound of the electronic discharge all over his body as the technique was too close and too fast to be so easily deflected, and sent back a Katon jutsu to distract his enemy.

The real Toroku jumped in front of the idiot and aimed a hit toward his neck, but he swept the attack away from himself and with that movement he kicked his knee toward the blond's stomach. Toroku turned to his side, letting the kick pass by his torso. He grabbed the leg of his opponent and swung himself around on his feet, to gather momentum. After three rotations, he let the ankle of the Kumo ninja go and sent him flying toward another fighting group on the other side of the clearing. It wasn't too graceful a movement, but it was efficient. The shinobi landed on his comrade's back, pushing him to the ground, allowing the clones to knock them out with a blow to the back of their necks. _'Two down.' _Toroku turned around to jump into another fight, replacing a disappearing clone on his right.

The clones around Kakashi ebbed away as a kunoichi jumped in the middle of the small group. At the moment she landed, she sent kunai toward the clones successfully, dispelling all of them except the one with the scroll, who was now looking at her with burning eyes. The young jonin stepped in front of the clone and jumped into the battle with the brown haired kunoichi. They slowly rounded each other, preparing for their dance. Kakashi moved his right hand behind his head and drew out a small katana. Not his father's lost heirloom, but it was very similar. His opponent also grabbed the long, traditional katana attached to her left to draw it. The fight started, filling the air with the clinging of the weapons. The fight was elegant, almost like a soft waltz between two lovers. They stepped toward each other, only to a second later turn around, aim a slash, and step aside in complete reverse of each other's movement.

The clone watched the slow dance with keen senses and tensed muscles, ready to jump. He was now alone, and he couldn't let himself dispel. His head moved toward the others to register that the battles from quantity moved toward quality, as most of the enemy nins faced only with one or two clones. A duo kicked out their opponent, and the clone frowned at the scene. The two clones strafed around the middle aged shinobi and slammed their palms toward him. For a moment nothing happened, but in the blink of an eye, the ninja fell to the ground limply like a marionette with its strings cut, as the two Futon: Kuuki hanmaa (Wind Release, Air Hammer) reached him from both sides.

Kakashi jumped over the kunoichi and spun in midair to aim a slash at her head. The kunoichi ducked and lifted her katana to deflect the attack, elegantly letting his weapon slip down from her own, creating sparks as the two razor sharp blades met. She gracefully slipped away from Kakashi and spun around on her heels, aiming an elegant kick toward the jonin's head, who had just landed on the ground. He rolled away from his opponent and threw a shuriken toward the brown haired girl, who deflected it with one well aimed swing of her sword. The two fighters jumped backwards to catch their accelerating breaths.

The kunoichi dropped her katana, which embedded itself into the soil to her right. She slapped her hands together and ran through a chain of seals, but she stopped midway, looking back to her opponent with wide eyes. He was imitating her movements perfectly, as if she was staring into a mirror. The shinobi shook her head and jumped to his right, charging around the silver haired boy, running through another set of seals, only to realize that the boy was copying her hand's every movement. She narrowed her eyes and stopped her hands again and positioned herself between the clone and Kakashi.

'_That's not good…'_

The clone's muscles tensed as he eyed the back of the kunoichi. _'Who would be so stupid as to show their back to the enemy willingly?'_ The clone narrowed his eyes, when a hand exploded from the ground in front of him, covered with the sparkling of electricity, aiming for his ankle. He rolled away just in time and jumped next to Kakashi, hitting the young jonin on the top of his head.

"Need help with the lady, shrimp?" The clone earned an ice cold glare from Kakashi, who answered with a smirk and moved backward, out of their way. His eyes moved around one more time to find the Boss at the other side of the clearing.

Toroku felt the burning eyes of himself on his back, but he hadn't the time to turn around as he deflected a chakra powered hit aimed for the left of his neck. He ducked onto the ground, and dug his fingers into the soft grass. He moved into a handstand on one of his palms and he spun around on his axis, landing behind the Kumo nin with an elegant jump. He was quite satisfied with his taijutsu. After the assessment, he trained nonstop to improve his sloppy moves. He had a lot of styles and moves in his head, and with the results of three sleepless nights he managed to recreate the flow of his movements again.

He aimed the butt of his kunai toward the shinobi's neck to knock him out, but before he could reach him, he felt a hand move toward his stomach. He moved backward, to avoid the touch. Electricity ran through him, despite the lack of contact, as the lightning chakra jumped from body to body, causing his limbs and muscles to spasm. His muscles screamed because of the unnatural movement and strain as another wave of spasms ran through them.

He clenched his teeth together to restrain his pained yelps, but he forced his eyes open. He had to keep them open. When the man finally released the attack, Toroku backed away from the shinobi as fast as he could manage with his sore limbs and his still twitching muscles. He rotated his head around his shoulders, a spark of remaining electricity ran through his form, chirping like a bird, his eyes darkening as he locked his azure orbs on the panting ninja in front of him with narrowed eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that…" Toroku hissed through his teeth and a satisfied half smile appeared on his face as his enemy gulped and took one step backward.

Ten second later the shinobi laid on the grass after he was hit down by one of Toroku's wind releases. The blond gave a final annoyed look at the limp body of his previous opponent, leaving his ragged form behind, and ran toward Kakashi with the only Kumo ninja left on her feet. He passed a small group of his clones, who were dragging the knocked out enemy nins toward a tree to tie them around it.

Toroku jumped next to his clone with the scroll, who let out a relieved sigh and handed the scroll to him, disappearing with a puff. The duel continued in front of him as he eyed the young jonin and the kunoichi. They were around the same strength, the only big difference was within their experiences. The woman was evidently a veteran with honed reflexes, while on the other hand even though Kakashi was a prodigy with great potential and skills, the lack of real battle experience was conspicuous.

Toroku let his chakra spread out to found Kushina and Minato. Before it could reach the edge of the clearing, an explosion echoed in the air. When the enormous wave of pressure reached the clearing, it sent the surprised kunoichi flying toward Toroku, who utilized the opportunity and knocked her out with a swift kick, causing her to fall down limply to the soil a meter from his foot.

Kakashi and Toroku shared a worried look and jumped into the woods, sprinting toward the root of the attack.

* * *

Minato jumped toward Bee and the blond kunoichi with insane speed, together with Kushina. They landed in front of the duo and Minato grabbed them, disappearing from the center of the clearing.

The quartet reappeared a safe distance from the others, under a giant redwood which was previously marked by the destination seal. Kushina and Minato jumped backward to gain some distance from their opponents, who surprisingly looked quite good after their first experience of Hiraishin.

"Man! You know, I already lived through a lot of disturbing things, but that is in the top three… However, I appreciate your move. It wouldn't be quite a good thing if we fought there."

"I'm glad you approve, Bee-san." Minato nodded toward Kushina, who turned toward the blond teen.

Kushina charged toward her opponent. The kunoichi jumped backward, luring her away from the two shinobi. The redhead narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"Hey flaky, how long are you planning to play this game of tag?"

Kushina received no answer from the teen, only an annoyed look. She couldn't help it, a wide sneer ran across her delicious features. _'It's been a while since I've had some fun.'_ She pumped chakra into her foot, and sprung herself toward the teen, whose eyes were now wide with surprise.

Her hand dived into her kunai holder and grabbed as many weapons as she could hold with one hand, and jumped into the air toward the teen. Her ruby hair flowed behind her back in the rhythm of her movement as she threw the kunai one by one at her opponent. The teen gracefully avoided every single kunai, her movement was elegant and fluid, just like a cat's. The redhead launched another wave of shuriken toward the blond, who was now standing below the branch where she landed after her first attack. The kunoichi fluidly jumped up the tree, almost like she was floating, to face against Kushina. They jumped toward each other, each of them holding a kunai in their hands. The soft clinging broke the silence of the woods while they jumped toward each other, only to land on another tree to repeat their moves.

In the next jump, Kushina rolled around in midair, and beside pushing her kunai toward the blond, she caught her wrist and slammed her toward the tree where she jumped from. However, the imminent impact never came as the teen veered around in the air and landed in a crouch, parallel to the ground on the tree trunk.

Kushina frowned as the teen's eyes started to fade away, leaving nothing more than the plain white eyeballs, her canines grew and an almost animalistic grunt left her mouth. The teen launched toward the redhead with increased speed and kicked her down from the tree to impact into the ground with a small yelp. Kushina narrowed her eyes and spit out a small amount of blood in a not very feminine manner, and let an animalistic grin spread across her face.

"So, you want to play rough, kitty?"

* * *

"How about we continue from where we left off last time, Bee-san?"

"This time I won't let it end in a tie."

"We shall see," Minato smiled back to his opponent.

Bee jumped toward Minato with a katana in his hand, ready to slash a long cut where Minato's left eye was. Before the contact, Minato jumped over his head. While in the air, he threw a strange kunai with three prongs towards the sky.

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)."**  
**

When Minato released the technique, his three ponged shuriken multiplied into hundreds, flying across the trees and sticking everywhere within a hundred meters. A tentacle reached toward him with insane speed, but before it could even touch him, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, appearing a meter behind Bee. He spun on his heels, and jumped backwards to gain more distance, carefully avoiding the kunai in his proximity.

The Kumo nin sent another tentacle toward Minato, who disappeared centimeters before he could reach him. Another tentacle shot out from his body, toward the blond, where he reappeared, not letting him to stay in one spot more than a second. The fight started to resemble a silly game of whack-a-mole. After minutes of chasing, Bee had more tentacles on his body than his own limbs.

Minato appeared at the closest kunai on one of the trees, tired of the game of tag, and threw a shuriken toward the Kumo nin, forcing him to jump back toward one of his special kunai. He appeared behind Bee and tossed his weapon directly into his spine. He heard a gurgle come from his opponent, but he jumped back when the form melted away.

_'An Ink Clone.'_

At the moment his left foot touched the soil, a hand emerged from the ground and locked onto his ankle like a vice. He used his only option to release himself before the technique reached him. Despite the quick Hiraishin onto a tree, he still felt as pure electricity surged through his limbs for a brief moment. Small electrostatic sparks ran through his body, and despite avoiding most of it, it still wasn't a decent feeling.

"Raiton: Jibashi_ (_Lightning Style: Earth Flash)."

"I'm amused. You're the first person to actually touch me in years. You've been practicing since our last fight."

"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment."

Bee breathed in a large amount of air and exhaled black ink from his mouth, spreading it over everything around him, including Minato's kunai and his seals. The blond stood up from his crouching position, eying the result with amusement.

"Now, that is very interesting. However…" He disappeared only to reappear behind Bee, pointing a kunai at the back of his head, whispering into his ears,

"…It won't help you."

"Shit… How many markers did I get?"

"Two…"

"Doesn't this feel like déjà vu?"

"Not really."

"It should."

At that moment Minato felt something pointing toward his abdomen. He moved his eyes down and saw a small katana in Bee's hand.

"Indeed."

Suddenly, an enormous explosion could be heard not far away from them, and Bee muttered only one word with a frustrated tone that made Minato smile, despite being only centimeters from killing each other.

"Women…"

"Indeed…"

An overwhelming sonic boom reached the previous battlefield, forcing Minato and Bee to jump toward a tree before the impact and glue themselves to the surface with chakra. They needed every bit of chakra control to stay on the tree. When the wind of the explosion died down, two struggling forms impacted into the ground exactly where they were a second ago, cutting a deep scar across it.

One person jumped backward from the impact, her body covered with blue chakra flames, eyes burning with pure white light. Kushina straightened herself, and three golden chakra chains shoot out of her body toward the teenage girl, who gracefully jumped to the side to avoid them with cat-like swiftness.

A tentacle shot toward Minato, catching him off guard and pulling him further away from the newcomers. Four figures burst out from the trees between Kushina and the blond girl. A tensed Kakashi, a staring Toroku with an open mouth and a big scroll attached to his back, and a clone holding the unconscious renegade on his shoulder appeared from the thick bushes.

"Where are the others?!" Bee shouted at the newcomers with narrowed eyes.

"Alive, tied to a tree…" Kakashi narrowed his eyes while he answered, eying the wriggling tentacles as they moved back to their body, and the flaming girl in front of him.

"Everybody back off!"

"I won't leave you two here alone!" Toroku yelled out as anger flushed his face.

"That was an order, not a request!"

"Sensei… I-" Kakashi's voice was cracked and sore, and Toroku tried again to reason with Minato.

"But.."

"Toro-"

"I won't leave my comrades behind!" Minato narrowed his eyes after the blond's interruption, but he didn't let his eyes move away from Bee. He felt as Kakashi moved closer to Toroku, signaling that he also wouldn't leave regardless of being told.

"Aw, this is a really sweet scene. I'm almost crying…" the young blond girl purred out the words then let out a barking laugh.

"Shut up, bitch dattebane!" Kushina burst out, spitting the words out from her mouth like it was poison.

"What did you just call me!?"

The blue chakra ominously started intensely twisting and shooting out of the girl's body, moving like a surreal animal on her skin as her anger grew. The flame-like chakra grew bigger and bigger around the girl, until a howl left her mouth and she launched herself toward Kushina with insane speed, who prepared to deflect the attack. Her muscles tensed, ready to jump, when she felt electricity lock her muscles, preventing her from moving. From the corner of her eyes she saw the last hand sign of Bee.

Minato moved immediately, but a tentacle shot out toward him at the same time, forcing him to use his Hiraishin, and appeared behind Kushina instead of attacking the charging girl. _'I was too late…'_ The only thing he could see from his spot behind the ruby red locks was another slowly trembling blond head with spiky locks in front of a pair wide, pure white eyes. The disgusting metallic smell of blood was already starting to fill the air around them, suppressing the flora's natural aroma. He could hear Kakashi's increasing heartbeat only steps away.

Minato wanted to scream, but not even a squeak came out from his mouth. He already knew what happened. He couldn't even see when the teen moved between Kushina and the attack. The movement was insanely fast. His own azure eyes filled with pure anger, blazing as bright as the girl's now fading chakra flames seconds ago during her fury. These eyes met with the girl's white ones, forcing her to instantly jump backward, causing Toroku to flinch, and a bloody cough escaped the blond. His hands fell down limply to his sides after releasing the girl's arms, which he held as far away from himself as he could to stop the attack. The teen girl looked down to her own blood soaked hand in disbelief, trying desperately to shake the crimson liquid off herself.

Minato moved his eyes toward Bee, his body trembling from the growing fury starting to burn his insides like acid. Kushina's eyes were wide with shock and anger, her iris' turned to slits and her blue orbs transformed to a reddish color. She could feel the growing rage inside her core, filling her mind with a dense red fog. She felt the urge. The urge to tear flesh, the urge to kill.

"Leave …" Another bloody cough left the blonde's mouth after this one word left his mouth, his words holding nothing but power and determination, without any hint of pain. Standing still, his eyes locked on Bee and the shocked teen. A small stream of blood appeared on each side of his mouth, drawing a thin, red line as it slowly trickled down his chin.

"Yugito! We're leaving! Now!" The blond girl flinched and jumped next to Bee, disappearing from the woods after gathering their teammates from the clearing.

Kushina grabbed the still standing teen and slowly laid him down on the ground, forcing the last conscious part of her mind to banish her blood lust away as she examined the teens chest. Her hands now glowed with green chakra above Toroku's chest, letting the healing energy into his body. _'Yugito's hand almost went through the right side his of chest, fortunately not completely, but damaged the upper part of his lung badly. I have to stop the bleeding first, or he could drown.'_

"Kushina…" Minato's voice was now powerless as he knelt down next to the blond, and he could only wanly sense as Kakashi slowly approached them without a sound.

"He'll be okay… It's not as bad as I first thought." The blond teen turned his head toward the kunoichi, enjoying the warm sensation filling his chest and slowly washing away the pain, leaving only a dull memory of it in his mind.

"You're an idiot. You know that, Toroku?" The teen smiled back at Kushina.

"Yeah… s-somebody already t-told me… something like that."

"There's no doubt that you two are related. One minute the two of you act like intelligent human beings, the next you're like stupid, ignorant children… acting reckless, like you're some kind of supermen."

Toroku let his mouth form into a small smile and closed his eyes. They felt heavy. _'I'm tired… A small nap would be nice…' _He felt cold. Very cold. After a minute, his limbs started trembling, at first only a little, but now his whole body was shivering continuously, but that was only a dull feeling at the back of his mind. Everything around him became blurry, his senses dulled, even the voices around him became nothing more than muffles.

"Kushina…"

"I don't know what's happening, it seemed like he was getting better, dattebane!"

"Do something, Kushina-san!"

"I'm doing it! Oh shit… that bitch got his arteries... I got it!"

A sudden yelp echoed inside Toroku's head and he flinched back to reality by the overwhelming sensation of a new pain. A pain which started eating away his chest, tearing into his flesh, into his lungs, burning him from the inside like acid, flowing toward his stomach, his intestines, and slowly reaching every part of his body. His vision became crimson red and it slowly took over his brain, and his thoughts, taking him farther and farther away from the woods near the Kumo border, into the darkness.

"Kushina! What the hell are you doing!?"

"It wasn't me dattebane! I didn't pull out it's chakra! _It's_ doing it!"

The pain suddenly disappeared, but he couldn't persuade himself to open his eyes. He was floating… slowly drifting with the rhythm of the water. It was nice, calm, silent, and safe. Only the water's dripping reached his ears. However, he knew that he had to open his eyes soon. _'But not now. I want to relax with this sensation a little bit more.'_ He felt something encompass his body. Something warm and smooth, stroking his whole body like the finest silk as it touched his skin. _'I should go…'_ With this innocent thought, the sensation left, leaving emptiness and regret in his mind and soul. Like he got back something important, only to have someone violently uproot it from his flesh.

Toroku opened his eyes, as slowly as he could managed. He was really floating. He was swaying on the surface of water. A pond maybe. No. It wasn't a pond. It wasn't as natural… it was more industrial. He could even smell the metal and rust in the distance. He let his vision clear and he sat up on top of the water, defying every law of nature, defying the force attempting to pull him down into the dark abyss. He knew that the water was deep beneath him. He just knew it.

He slowly turned his head around, forcing his eyes to examine every little detail in the gloaming light. Toroku lazily turned his head to the other side and established that it was the same. He slowly straightened, but his legs immediately sank down into the water when he stood on them, sending raw panic toward his brain, but it stopped when the water reached his ankle. His heart calmed down as he felt the hard and cold concrete floor under his bare feet. He shook his head and looked around once more. He was in a corridor. The concrete wall was spotted with gas-lights, sending an unnatural yellowish glow along the passage.

He turned around to choose a path, but the right direction looked just as good as the left one. After a shrug, he simply turned right. Nothing changed as he moved forward, the corridor was the same. Sometimes he passed by a burnt out lamp, but that was the only change in the monotony. Wandering in the water, which felt like hours, he at last saw something in the distance. The end of the sewer. Yes, it was a sewer. He realized it in the first hour of his walk. Perhaps later, or perhaps earlier. He lost track of time a while ago. His mind was now filled with hope, as something was definitely in front of him as he approached it. He made his last wobbly steps, to find a door. A rusty metal door, with monstrous hinges and without a handle. A surreal pattern was carved into its rusty surface, but he couldn't recognize what could it be.

He had been standing there watching the door for what felt like hours before he finally made the last two steps and touched it with his shaking hands. It felt warm. Not hot, just warm, like a nice breeze in springtime. The temptation was overwhelming as he leaned closer to the door, and placed his palms on its surface, feeling every inch of the fine carving. He slowly leaned closer, his cheeks were now touching the surface, enjoying its warmth with closed eyes, forgetting about everything, about time, about space…

A distant voice reached his ears from the other side of the door. Almost unnoticeable, he thought he could more feel the vibration on the surface than actually hear it. It was the sound of something moving, rubbing against something continuously. Toroku let a small smile on his face as the warm sensation increased from the door, warming up his whole body from head to toe. He slowly raised his hand, and after a hesitant moment, he gently knocked on the door, leaving unnaturally loud taps echoing in the passage for a few seconds. No answer. He closed his eyes again, pushing himself further into the door, when he felt it.

The impact as something ran against the door once… then twice… causing the hinges to tremble. Toroku moved slowly backwards, one step after another, as the thing rushed against the door and as his fear increased more and more with each step. The hinges now moved menacingly out of their places, millimeter by millimeter, the metal now starting to bulge by the continuous impacts, and Toroku felt as the panic took over his brain. He stepped backwards once more, but suddenly the concrete floor disappeared under his feet, and nothing could help him as he fell backwards, slowly, but unstoppably. He splashed into the dark water, which now felt different. It was now thick almost like oil, not gently tepid, but cold as ice as it engulfed him like a disgusting animal. Toroku was struggling in vain to reach the surface, but it grabbed him, pulling him down into the deep, inky black abyss. He let out his last breath, watching the bubbles as they moved farther and farther, as the yellow glow of the gas-light faded away in the distance, leaving him alone, sinking unstoppably into the complete darkness of the endless abyss…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Okay, I know, that Bee doesn't talk like this, but I just can't stand when he speaks in rhymes. So please tolerate it, Bee fans.

Guess who is behind door number two?


	7. Chapter 7 – Trust and Doubts

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I want to thank the hard work of **ScarsOfTime (** u/947576/), without him, I am lost.

**Original Upload date: 9th of January 2013**

**Last update: na  
**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 7. – Trust and Doubts**

* * *

The light of consciousness slowly started to replace the sheer panic, the fear, the darkness, the freezing cold of the dream. The urge to run, flee as far as was just possible from that door. His body flinched at the thought of that thing behind the iron door, the thing desperately trying to break out, to catch him, most likely to tear into his flesh. The sensation finally died down as his dream become foggier and foggier, and it's memory became distant. Only one thing was still clear. The anger and… the red. The brilliant, glowing crimson red he sensed behind the rusty door.

He felt something heavy on his arm. Something very heavy, yet soft, but the numbness was disturbing like hell. As he opened his eyes slowly and turned his head to the side, he saw a ruby-red head resting on her crossed arms, exactly on his arm, pressing his veins. He slowly moved himself, careful not to wake her up, to tenderly slip out his hand. Toroku slowly sat up on the bed, aware not to disturb the girl's sleep, and slowly turned his head over the white room to meet a pair of blue orbs and tenderly smiling face under blond locks.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"Who are you?" The teen's face mirrored confusion as he looked at his companion.

The small smile immediately melted away from the Minato's face. He suppressed a shocked gasp and his eyes were now filled with worry, his mouth slowly opening in his surprise.

A moment later his face mirrored anger, then annoyance, as Toroku couldn't hold back any longer, clasping his hands over his mouth trying to hold back the sound of his laughter ready the break out from his lungs. He couldn't help the violent trembling of his body caused by the restrained laughter. A small, laudably white pillow punched him hard on the face from Minato's way, but he easily caught it before it could hit Kushina's head and disturb her dreams. After a half minute of almost soundless struggling, he felt something moving slowly down at his side, and when he glanced down, he meet two worry-filled green eyes watching him.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Kushina watched the still trembling teen with a concerned look on her face, misjudging the tremor.

"Too good," Minato answered instead of Toroku after an irritated snort, and the teen burst out laughing, pointing toward him.

"Now that was just priceless! If you could only see your face!"

"You really are an idiot." Toroku waved his hand apologetically, and his laughter died down to small chuckles.

"That was just hilarious."

"That was a really bad joke, you know…"

"What joke?" Kushina had straightened in her chair, her eyes showing a childish curiosity.

"He faked amnesia…" The redhead had turned toward Toroku with a prideful look, and patted his shoulder approvingly.

"Hey, Minato. Really. What happened after the two from Kumo left? It's a little bit foggy." His two companions shared a worried look, before Minato turned toward the teen to answer his question.

"The hit had severed your artery and you passed out due to blood loss. Kushina was able to heal you, and stabilize your state until we reached Konoha and the hospital. You were passed out for three days. We captured the renegade along with the scroll."

"Three days?!"

Kushina's eyes darkened and she looked away from the surprised teen. It was her fault. Toroku could have easily died because of her small pet. She shook her head as the disturbing pictures flowed back to her head.

_She was pressing her hands hard next to the collarbone where one sharp fang tore into Toroku's artery, channeling as much chakra into the wound as she could, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. She almost had it, when she felt like someone grabbed her soul, tearing it away from her body, pulling it toward the teen's insides. The familiar red chakra started bubbling around her, moving independently from her will, wrapping around her skin and limbs, surpassing the green light on her hands, moving toward Toroku's body, wriggling like a snake, before she could stop it or jerk her hands away. She saw in slow motion as the tainted crimson red energy filled him, bubbling in the wound, moving and behaving like lava, melting away the flesh, only to seconds later start to rebuild the tissues from nothing, while Toroku's spine arched in an abnormal curve in his agony, before he passed out._

She sighed as she watched how the two blonds argued about Toroku's release date. But she was grateful for Minato that he didn't reveal the truth. What really happened, her disgusting secret, about her little… tenant.

He shouldn't even be alive, after that tainted chakra got into his system. But the medics said that he was all right, healed completely without any damage to his chakra coils, and the fox's chakra already left his body without any trace that it had even been there. But they couldn't figure out why he wasn't gaining consciousness. After the first set of examinations, they couldn't even point out a date, only that it could be hours, days, or weeks. The whole team had been worrying and someone always stayed next to him, waiting for him to wake up. Even Kakashi.

Minato was the most shattered. She knew that despite his suspicious and sudden appearance, he made a soft spot for his newly discovered relative. A troubled sigh left her soft lips and she turned her green eyes toward the chuunin.

"Why did you jump between me and the attack?"

Toroku cringed his teeth shut and slowly moved his head toward the until now silent Kushina. He knew that this would come, but he also didn't have any answers yet.

"I don't know… I wasn't thinking at the time…"

"I could have deflected that attack."

"I… I don't know what to say." He looked into Minato's blue orbs, waiting for any kind of hint, or emotion, but his face stayed unreadable.

He looked down on his bed and started to play with a wrinkle on the white sheet. Everything happened just too fast, he moved without thought at the moment he saw the attack. Without thinking, without measuring that Kushina could maybe deflect it, or jump out of the way. He knew that was the stupidest thing he could have done, but at that very moment it seemed to be the right thing. And before that… He went against Minato's order…

"Kushina… Could you please leave us alone for a while?"

Minato turned toward the redhead, his face was calm without any emotion to read. Toroku felt his chest squeeze and his heart rate increase as worry took over his mind. Kushina only nodded and left the room, sending a warm, encouraging smile to him. The young chuunin immediately opened his mouth when the door closed behind the redhead, but he didn't have the courage to face his brother.

"I know, I disobeyed a direct order… but the thought of having to leave you there… I… I just couldn't do that. …I take full responsibility for my actions."

Minato didn't answer, only looked at him with calm eyes. He finally let out a small sigh and moved closer to the bed to take Kushina's previous seat, next to Toroku.

"Listen Toroku… I'm not mad at you. But in the future, consider this: If I give an order, it's because there are causes behind them…" Minato let his words settle in, before he continued,

"I told you to retreat because Kushina and I could handle those two. Kakashi wasn't ready for that level of opponents, and because we still don't know your full potential. Neither do you…

"…You were reckless… I understand why you wanted to stay. Really. But you not only threatened the outcome of the mission, you menaced your team mate's life… and your own…

"You told me that you don't want to feel sorrow again... nor do I… The next time I tell you to back off and leave me behind, you will do it!"

Toroku didn't answer straight away, he was still staring at his lap. He slowly closed his eyes, letting his flying emotions settle down before he finally managed to turn toward Minato and look directly into his eyes.

"I can't do that… I won't leave anyone behind. Especially not my family."

Minato placed his hand onto his forehead and slowly started massaging his head, attempting to ease away his impending headache.

"Toroku, you can't…"

"Please… I don't know who I was, or where I came from, but I know one thing for sure from my past: I wasn't the kind of person who would willingly leave anyone behind…"

Minato didn't answer, they let the silence fall upon them. Fortunately a nurse opened the door to help them out of their situation, and after a long fight with the teen she agreed to speak with the medics about his early release.

"You should stay here for one or two more days."

"I hate hospitals… You'll have to reapply the seals on me if you want to force me to stay here more than absolutely necessary."

"That actually isn't a bad idea."

"Very funny…"

"Toroku… we weren't finished with our little talk. But that's enough for today I think."

He only nodded and they didn't share any more words with each other. They left the hospital together in complete silence.

* * *

Toroku was now sitting next to one of the three thick poles sticking out from the soil of their dedicated training ground, where he first appeared in Konoha. After he was finally released from the hospital and arrived back at his apartment, after two hours of ceiling staring he decided to take a walk. His legs moved separately from his brain, and in the end he found himself here.

It was starting to become late, the Sun almost reached the horizon, coloring everything a warm orange, but he wasn't concerned with the time. He was leaning against the pole with closed eyes, enjoying the last warm beams of the setting sun and thinking. He could hear his masked shadow's slow heartbeat near him, lurking behind a mayflower bush.

He growled in frustration and started slowly beating the back of his head into the pole's raw surface. Not with force, only to conduct his hopelessness into the innocent rod. He was afraid. Afraid of his own emotions, afraid that he ruined everything when he stated clearly that he wouldn't follow orders if that meant he had to leave someone behind. He was afraid that he lost every bit of trust that he gained during these weeks with one simple sentence. _'He must think I'm unreliable because of that… and he's right.'_

His thoughts wandered around Minato and Kushina. About family. About his irresponsible emotions toward them.

It was strange. He wasn't looking at Minato nor Kushina as family earlier. They were just friends, neighbors, some of the few people he knew. He only knew them for a few weeks, but somehow, when Minato ordered them to leave, something broke inside him. With the adrenaline running through his veins he wasn't even thinking at the time, everything just happened. The words rushed from his mouth without considering them. _'Family… How could I tell him that? We barely know each other… I don't even know myself…. What If I'm really just an assassin, waiting only to strike? To kill him? Waiting only for the opportunity to plunge a kunai into his heart or in the Hokage's? ...Will I still be myself if I somehow get my memories back?'_ Toroku shook his head slowly. _'No, that won't be happening…'_

He let out a sigh, when he felt someone slowly approaching him from the woods. Toroku didn't open his eyes nor move an inch as the figure slowly walked next to him to the other pole. He heard the soft voice as the fabric rubbed against the rough pole as the body leaned against it, slipped down on it's rough surface and reached the ground with a dull thud. They stayed like that for several minutes, without moving a finger, or making a noise, enjoying the last warmth of the sun and the warm breeze. An animal hopped out from the woods and ran through the clearing. Maybe a rabbit. The birds still sang their song on the trees, while the warm breeze played with the branches and the leaves like they were strings of a harp. A cicada, a lonely survivor, or maybe a late riser, joined in the cavalcade of nature's sonata.

"So, what brought you here Kakashi?" Toroku asked softly without even opening his eyes.

"I talked to a friend."

They stayed in silence, each other in their own thoughts, listening to the world's most perfectly composed music, when finally Kakashi opened his mouth.

"I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"What you did in Kumo for Kushina. I wasn't fast enough to reach her…"

"I made a complete idiot of myself..."

"Perhaps, but still. I want to thank you." Toroku opened his eyes and moved his head up to watch the first faintly glowing stars appear on the darkening horizon.

"...I have only one memory from my previous life..." Kakashi stiffened, but stayed silent, listening to Toroku who was speaking slowly, weary, leaving long spaces between his thoughts struggling with himself.

"…It's about a blond girl… I watched her die while another girl tried desperately to save her life…

"…I didn't even know her name… But it still hurts… During my first night in Konoha… I was mourning for her…

"…When Minato told us to leave them there… and… when I saw that girl attacking Kushina… I only saw that girl's face." He let out a sigh.

"Minato was right… I'm reckless… Kushina is strong, she could have deflected that attack… and… someone could have died there if the enemy hadn't back off…

"I'm a useless shinobi…" The blond teen softened his voice, almost whispering as the words left his mouth slowly, leaving long spaces of silence between the sentences, unsure of himself.

"…I disobeyed a direct order… How could I gain yours or Minato's trust if I can't even follow a simple order…?" Toroku let out a weary sigh and leaned his head onto his hands, which was resting on his knees at his chest.

"…But still… I feel, that that was the right thing to do dattebayo… I don't even know why I'm I telling you this…"

Kakashi didn't answer right away, just let himself dive into his own thoughts, before he opened his mouth after a long, silent minute.

"Someone told me something not long ago… 'Those who break the rules and regulations are called trash…'"

Toroku turned his head toward the jonin and let out a sigh… _'Now that's it… Here it comes…' _Kakashi leaned forward and moved to sit crossed legged, resting his hands in his lap.

"'…But those who don't care about their companions are even worse than trash…'"

The young jonin finally turned toward Toroku and he was sure that if he wasn't wearing a mask, he could see a soft smile on his face. But the emotions still came through his only visible eye as it smiled at him openly, which made the teen's mouth finally turn up. Kakashi's right hand had slowly raised from his lap and stopped in midair, waiting for his own. Toroku grabbed the jonin's hand and let him shake it slowly and tenderly.

"Welcome to the team."

"Thanks." The blond let the smile grow into a grin and let his hand drop down. They stayed in silence for several moments, each shinobi now looking up to the almost ink black sky, watching as the amount of faintly glowing stars increased, spotting the sky with their white shine.

"Who said that?"

"It was Obito..." Kakashi stayed in complete silence for a long minute, weighing his thoughts.

"He told that to me when… when I was about to leave Rin behind in favor of the mission…" Toroku raised an eyebrow and turned toward Kakashi.

"I was an idiot back then… worshiping the rules… placing them before my comrades because…" The jonin slowly shook his head.

"…But after that day… when Obito… Something changed inside me… "

"I'd happily become trash if I could save someone…" They stayed in silence, each one in their own thoughts about what had been revealed.

"You know, if you and Obito would have had a chance to meet, I'm sure you would have gotten along well. He was the same as you…"

"…An incredible person with great talent?"

"No, an irritating, loud mouthed moron…" Kakashi let out a weary sigh.

"Sorry for my behavior before. I was acting like a…" The boy looked up behind his silver locks, looking for the word he wanted.

"Jerk? Idiot?" Kakashi rolled his eye at the offered words, then he just shrugged in the end.

"Yeah…"

The two boys stayed in silence before the both of them burst out laughing loudly on the clearing. Toroku knew that this was the start of something really good. He felt a great burden fall from his shoulders and his frustration flushed away. However, it wouldn't last long.

* * *

After he came home from the hospital, he didn't have a chance to speak with Minato. However, he was the one who stated that the conversation wasn't over yet, but it was already the second day and Minato was nowhere to be seen. He was definitely avoiding him, masking his chakra. A sigh left his mouth as he moved his hand to knock on his neighbor's door as his last attempt for today to catch the blond. He wasn't surprised when he saw the green eyed Kushina in the doorway instead of his own reflection.

"Sorry. He isn't home yet."

"I see." He let out another disappointed sigh and started to turn to leave.

"Hey. Despite him not being here, you can come in. I just finished making dinner, and I really don't want to eat alone." Toroku looked back at her with an unsteady glance, but before he could speak a word he felt a soft hand on his wrist.

"Come on. I won't bite your head off."

He slowly nodded and followed Kushina into the apartment and sat down at the small dining table. Blue orbs followed her movement as she grabbed the plates and the big bowl of roasted beef and put it down on the table, before she finally settled down at the other side of the table in front of him. They ate in complete silence in an absolutely unusual way. When they were together they were the loudest duo. Picking on each other, laughing, and then picking on somebody else to laugh at him or her together. Toroku squirmed in his seat, uneasy at the awkward silence, trying to finish his meal as fast as he could to run away from this surreal situation.

"What do you want to talk about with Minato?" Toroku blinked in his surprise. He wasn't expecting anything this direct. He carefully thought over what he wanted to unfold to Kushina before he answered.

"I want to settle things with him. I have a lot on my mind since our last mission, about… our relationship and this whole brother thing..., and about my actions at that time… I want to speak with him truthfully."

"You know… he's frightened… He was never afraid of anything, but now he is, because he's tip-toeing in the dark. He's unsure and he's worried because he doesn't know what he should do…" Toroku frowned.

"I don't really get what you mean by that."

"He was frightened back at Kumo when you… when you passed out. He was worrying himself sick when you were in the hospital, unconscious. Until our mission, he was trying to stay professional in your… sensitive case, trying to deny his own feelings, but this incident opened his eyes. He's avoiding you because he doesn't want to face his own fear.

"Do you know why he told you two to back off?" Toroku shook his head.

"He ordered you to back off to protect you. You and Kakashi. He was unsure of himself, of his own leadership, unsure of your abilities. After Obito's death, he pledged that he wouldn't lose another person. Someone precious. Someone from the family."

"Family?" Toroku flinched and glanced back with wide eyes at the softly smiling Kushina.

"Yes. You know, sometimes he calls you brother unconsciously when he talks about you…" She let out a soft chuckle. "Minato would kill me if he realized that I told you this."

"It's okay, I won't tell him, and I'm grateful about this, because at least I know that he has the same feelings as I do…" Kushina stayed silent, not daring to cut off Toroku, who buried his face into his hands.

"I'm afraid, Kushina… I'm frightened of losing everything again. I don't know how I should handle him. At first I tried to speak and behave as if he was just a friend… but… I… It just changed…" He let out a weary sigh and leaned back in the chair, moving his eyes to the table.

"When he told me back then to back off and leave you behind… I don't know. Something broke inside me… And now I'm confused… I don't know what to do…

"…I spoke with Kakashi two days ago… about Obito… I made the decision of what I thought was right… but…

"…I disobeyed the order, and I also told him that I will always disobey in the same situation… I fear that I lost the last tiny bit of trust I managed to gain from him… from you… and…" He let out another sigh and ran his hand through his blond locks.

"I don't want to seem unreliable, but I just made that a self-fulfilling prophecy…" He let out a low chuckle, his eyes now fixed on his empty plate in front of him.

"It's funny. "

"What?"

"It wasn't even two weeks ago that I lectured a small kid about irresponsible ninjas. That they are reckless and they will end up dying early… Hehe. I lectured a small child about how to behave, but I can't even listen to my own advice…"

They stayed in silence for a long moment before Toroku continued,

"But you know what? If that's the cost… It's worth it... If I have to die early to save someone, I'll pay that price. I'm glad that you're unharmed… and I'll do it again and again if I have to."

Toroku finally looked up from the table to meet Kushina's green eyes and the soft smile on her face. The smile, filled with love and care, which immediately warmed up his whole chest, and in the end his whole body from his head to his toes, just like in the foggy memory when they first met.

"You're a special young man, Toroku…"

"A special but still idiotic shinobi…" a new voice said.

Toroku jumped out of his seat and almost fall flat on the floor when he flung around to face with the newcomer, pushing over his seat in the process with a loud thud. He recognized that voice anywhere. The blond source was leaning against the door-frame, his hands crossed in front of his chest with a soft smile on his face.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

Minato moved closer to set the seat back to its original place, next to the still shocked teen with wide eyes, full of alert, and fear. Kushina gave a small smile and left room without a word, heading toward the small balcony to give some space to the blonds.

"But you aren't the only one… I would like to apologize… for… you know… being an idiot." Toroku didn't dare to move, he just stared down at the blond who was now sitting at Kushina's previous place.

"I'm sorry… I was a fool… I should be grateful to you, because you protected Kushina …and instead of thanking you, I lectured you. And it was undeserved…" Minato glanced up at Toroku, waiting for any kind of reaction, but seeing the lack of it, he just continued, averting his glance from the teen.

"I came from seeing Kakashi… He yelled at me like a maniac. I never thought he could do something like that. That reserved child. But it was necessary to realize that I was wrong, that you aren't children. You are shinobi of the Leaf, and I should trust in your abilities.

"I was wrong and selfish to order you to leave us behind. I thought only about myself and my own feelings, not even considering you two. I also abandoned my own advice, that the most important thing is teamwork.

"You will never be forced to disobey… because I'll never force you to abandon your comrades again. So once more, I'm sorry."

Toroku slowly opened his mouth hesitantly to say something. Anything. But his mind stayed blank and he shut his mouth, while Minato slowly turned his head to meet his eyes. His frustration immediately melted away again when Minato's azure blue orbs pierced his own, leaving nothing more than another warm sensation in his chest. A small smile ran across his face and he sat down in the seat again, leaning onto the table.

"I don't think you are unreliable, because I know now that I could safely trust anyone's life in your hands. But…You're still reckless about your own well-being."

"I won't deny I am, and I will always be if it's about a life I could save." Minato didn't answer, only smiled at him. Toroku let out a relieved sigh. They stayed in total silence for a few minutes, sitting together without a word until it started becoming oppressive.

"So… What will we do about this brother thing?"

"Only what we want to become of it… Oto."

"That was weird you know… Aniki."

"That was also weird."

They smiled at each other softly, then the smiles slowly grew to a grin, then a chuckle, and at the end the two blond shinobi were laughing uncontrollably next to the small table. A red tuft peeked into the room to stare at the scene in disbelief.

"That was a fast reunion, you know…" Minato chuckled and waved to Kushina to come closer, who immediately obeyed and hopped into the blond's lap because of the lack of the seats.

"So, l see the peace settled again. You hungry, idiot number two?" The redhead turned to Minato cheekily, who just nodded in response, earning a big bowl of roosted beef for himself as they moved toward the living room where they could settle down much more cozily. Before they could start their conversation, a dull knock could be heard from the door and Kushina returned with a confused Kakashi at her side, eying the two blonds sitting next to each other, chatting and joking like nothing had happened before.

"You know, sensei, I came to deliver another kick to your ass, but it seemed you were faster…" Minato just chuckled and pointed toward an empty chair.

"So, now that we're gathered like this, let's see. Toroku, you told me that you would show me that small barrier tag of yours." Toroku blinked and turned toward Kushina.

"I did?"

"Sure. Why? Is it some kind of a secret?" He shook his head and smiled at her.

"No, of course not. I'll go get one for you."

"It's okay, leave it to me. Where are they?"

"In my pouch next to the door…"

Toroku turned to his side to get his keys, but when he turned back holding his keys into the air, the blond next to him disappeared… He could feel the a vein in his forehead starting to throb violently, waiting, only for his brother to reappeared in the next second in the middle of the room, holding the open pouch in his left hand, while the right was already digging into it searching for the tag.

"Minato…" a sullen grunt left Toroku's mouth, his eyes narrowing to a thin line.

"Hm?"

"You put a mark _inside_ my apartment? Without _my_ permission?" Minato stepped back and nervously eyed the angry teen, letting an embarrassed smile run across his face.

"Ehm… sorry?"

Toroku shut his eyes until he was now grimacing and ran his hand through his hair, ready to tear it out in his frustration, but only a loud, animalistic growl left him. He dropped his hand into his lap and snapped his head toward Idiot Number Two.

"Have you ever heard of privacy? Never mind. I don't even need an answer." Minato chuckled and sent an apologetic smile to Toroku, handing over his pouch, who in the end just shook his head slowly and rolled his eyes. He immediately found the small paper tag from the right pocket and handed it to Kushina.

"Wow. Now _that_ is a very unique design. I never thought to use the guardians of the beams like that."

"The problem is, that you can see, that it could safely counter only one attack. And only up to a medium B level at this size. But if I made it bigger it wouldn't be so easily controlled in a real fight."

"But that is still a very useful tag."

Kakashi thoughtfully eyed the small paper in the hope to understand what they were talking about, but in the end he just shrugged and turned to Minato.

"Sensei. When you used your Hiraishin for the first time under the paralysis seal, you used Toroku's clones as a destination, didn't you?"

"Yep. As they were perfect clones, they also copied my seal."

"When will that thing come off of me anyway? It's not that it's a very bad thing in a mission, but how will I kick your ass in our next spar if you receive instant access to my clones…?" Toroku crossed his arms in front of his chest and the last part of his sentence turned into a muffle, countered by Minato's chuckle.

"Can I count it as a challenge for a spar?" Toroku only answered with a wide grin.

"I've learned a lot since our first match, you know."

"I also want a rematch…" Kakashi folded his arms and gave a cocky glare toward the blond with his only visible eye. Minato gave a warm smile to the blond teen and started to chuckle.

"You've become quite the popular sparring partner."

"Because I'm just that amazing." Minato rolled his eyes in response, but he took notice of Kakashi's wondering eye on Toroku.

"Why did you collapsed to the ground at that time?" Toroku blinked in his surprise to hear that question from Kakashi.

"Another flashback?" Minato asked from the blond curiously, who just shook his head.

"Actually no. Just a headache. But quite a vicious one. I thought my brain was going to explode." Minato nodded.

"How did you find their captive inside that barrier?" Minato now turned his curious eyes to the blond in wonder.

"I went after the smell. I mean my clone, underground. That barrier seal was really quite something, but it wasn't as secure from its underside and his smell leaked into the ground. My nose is pretty good, you know. After you knocked out the guard it was still hard to deactivate that seal." The Yellow Flash of Konoha nodded in acknowledgment. Toroku let out a sigh and was now looking at Kushina.

"I really hoped that I would see you in action, Kushina. I'm eager to see you fight."

"I'm too special to display my skills." The redhead gave her answer with a cocky wink and earned rolling eyes from Minato.

"I don't want to seem rude, but I've had a long day and I'm about to collapse. So if you don't mind, could we continue this little chit-chat tomorrow?" Minato let an apologetic smile run across his features.

"Oh, sorry. Of course."

Toroku instantly got up from the chair and the two boys left the apartment, leaving the couple alone. Minato let out a weary sigh and he moved toward the bedroom, collapsing onto the bed face down in his clothes. The redhead followed him and sat down onto the bed next to his head.

"You should at least take off your clothes…" Minato turned his head toward Kushina and answered with a cocky smile.

"That task is waiting for you, my love…"

Kushina rolled her eyes at the statement and pelted his head with a pillow she was about to fluff up. Minato chuckled and moved to sit on the bed to remove his clothes. The woman eyed his back in silence for a minute, watching him as he started to get rid of his garments.

"Why did you lie to Toroku?" The blond froze in his movement to take off his shirt, and after a long moment, he slowly continued.

"About what?"

"You told him that you would trust anyone's life in his hands."

"Have you ever heard that eavesdropping is impolite?" Kushina didn't answer, and Minato let out a weary sigh, turning toward the woman on the bed.

"I don't know… Maybe because I want to believe it."

"Minato… You give him false hope."

"What are you expecting from me, Kushina? Tell me, what? To tell him the truth? The truth that I don't know how to feel about him? That maybe one day I'll be the one who slices his throat open?"

"I know you don't trust in him... But he tried to save my life… and you can't deny it. He's working really hard to gain your trust and acknowledgment. Consider your own words, that he's now a teenager, as confused about your whole situation as you. Don't make it worse. I'm aware that you're already attached to him, it doesn't matter how mad you are trying to deny it."

"Yes, I'm attached and this is the problem. I know my responsibilities. Believe me, I know very well that maybe one day I have to kill him…. Kushina… You know very well that he was suspicious enough from the start. Then this whole relative thing… You know very well what it could mean, don't you?"

"Then why are you acting like a caring big brother dattebane?"

"Because I want to believe that I'm really his brother!" Minato snapped with a raised voice, his face turning into an irritated frown.

"Then choose." The blond's anger melted away, confusion replacing his frown.

"Between what?"

"Choose one option. Be his brother, or be one of his superiors and judge, but don't play this two sided game anymore with him, because it's disgusting. I'm ashamed of the way you're acting dattebane. I thought you were a direct person who never wore a mask."

Oppressive silence fell onto the room as Minato let the words sink into his own thoughts and calmed his intense nerves, burying his head into his hands and letting out another sigh.

Kushina didn't interfere. She wanted Minato to finally open up to her. To open up and express his doubts, his thoughts, because they didn't speak about this properly ever since the Sandaime revealed their blood relation and she saw that Minato was struggling between his own emotions since then. He really liked the boy in the first few weeks, they become fast friends and he had a really good effect on Minato after Obito had died. That was the only thing that left the spirit burning in him. Their meetings, his visits, and the boy's small jokes. The blond had spoken a lot about him, and she also became very curious about him. And when they finally met… She felt like she found something long lost in herself. Something warm inside her, and for a long moment she finally felt whole. Even that damn fox disappeared from her mind until their last mission.

Kushina watched Minato with worried eyes. She knew Minato's trust disappeared within a blink of an eye, when his relation to Toroku was revealed, and Kushina also knew what this could mean. However, she couldn't think about this possibility. She didn't want to think about it. That that sweet boy was only an assassin who was after Minato's life.

During the years of war, Minato gained a lot of enemies, especially from Iwa. Toroku was perhaps a part of a very well prepared plan. Somehow they found a relative, his long lost brother, and perhaps they trained him for that very moment.

Kushina let out a sigh and leaned toward Minato to gently stroke his hand. The blond didn't move from his frozen state as he was lost in his own small word, in his thoughts about Toroku.

"Minato…"

"I'm thinking, Kushina…"

"Then tell me… What are you thinking about?"

"I don't know… It's just too complicated… Everything was so perfect until two month ago. I wasn't worried about death, about my own possible assassination…"

He finally lifted his head from his hands, looking at Kushina with weary eyes. He looked a decade older.

"Help me… what should I do?"

"Enjoy your time with your new brother. He's a special and valuable shinobi. If the time comes, you will know what you have to do and I know you will do it. But until that time, don't struggle with your feelings. Accept them."

Minato stayed silent for several minutes. He slowly grabbed a towel and headed out to the bathroom, leaving her behind without a word. The woman slowly shook her head and let out a sigh.

"Stubborn blonds… hovering around each other…"

* * *

The news spread across the Village Hidden in the Leaves like a virus in a human body. The news that Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage of Konoha, started negotiations about cease-fire with the other elemental countries. The missions onto the battlefields were delayed, the guard posts at the borders were fastened, leaving more waiting shinobi at the village than it could handle because of the lack of assignments. Everything was full. The bars, the restaurants, and the biggest annoyance for the trio of two blonds and a young silver haired jonin: every available training ground was occupied.

"Well, any other suggestion to kill some time?" Toroku turned toward his companions after he let out a disappointed sigh at the most far out training ground of Konoha.

Before any of them could speak, an eagle appeared in the distance, approaching the small group. The majestic bird floated on the winds without movement, slowly hovering around Minato high in the sky. Minato carefully watched the predator and sighed.

"Well, our wish is granted it seems. We're heading to the Hokage tower." Toroku looked at Kakashi in confusion with a raised eyebrow and the jonin pointed upwards to the eagle.

"That is a summoning sign for jonins from the Hokage, and as it is concentrated on Minato, he wants to see him."

"I see."

"Come, we are going together, then you can go wherever you want." Minato grabbed the shoulder of his two companions and disappeared from the small path with a flash of gold and silver.

* * *

The trio reappeared in front of the Hokage's desk with a second delay. Toroku rolled his shoulder to ease the aftereffect of the technique, and moved his head to the side to see a tall man with straight, waist length black hair on his left looking at Minato with narrowed eyes and folded arms. Moments later his sight moved to Toroku without moving his head, and he couldn't help the expression on his face as he frowned when his blue orbs connected with his amber colored ones.

Toroku couldn't avert his gaze from the split pupils as he suppressed a shiver when he felt a drop of cold sweat slowly running down his back under his clothes. His brain emptied, and black dots appeared in his eyesight, masking the purple marking on the unnaturally pale skin. At the back of his head, he felt as his hands begun shaking, and he immediately squeezed his hands into fists with his last resort of self-control. He distantly felt as his nails painfully plunged into the soft flesh of his palms as anger started to rise inside his veins. Dizziness floated into his brain, his sight was filled with the amber eyes with the split pupils. Something started boiling inside him, bubbling deep in his veins. Toroku felt as the world started to split out under his foot, the surroundings became only a distant feeling and the black dots slowly started to overwhelm his eyesight as his fury increased, leaving nothing but the two yellow orbs.

"Orochimaru-san. " Toroku suddenly snapped out from his temporary stasis as the familiar voice echoed inside the office.

"Minato-san," the man greeted him without moving his eyes from the young teen, who couldn't suppress a shiver when the cold voice of the man reached him. The man finally moved his eyes from Toroku to meet another identical pair of azure blue orbs.

"I heard you had a very… interesting new companion… and indeed he is a fascinating young boy."

The pale shinobi's face moved to an animalistic half smile and he slowly opened his mouth to lick his upper lips with his tongue. Another drop of cold sweat ran down on his spine and he couldn't restrain his movement as he stepped back from the pale man, almost bumping into Minato.

"I also heard you took apprenticeship over a young girl, Orochimaru-san," Minato replied with a chilled voice, not bothering to mask the icy cold tone of it.

"Yes, the rumors are true. Anko-chan is a very… promising young kunoichi."

"Your conversation is fascinating as always… But we have serious business here, so please…"

Finally, every eye turned toward the table where Sarutobi rested his chin on his joined fingers, leaning on the desk. The three newcomers bowed and greeted the leader of the village politely, and Minato dismissed his team immediately. Toroku looked over his shoulder from the doorway and he connected his blue orbs again with a narrow pair of amber colored ones. He quickly averted his gaze and almost fled from the office. Toroku glanced down at his hands to note that they were soaked in sweat and still trembling a little. He quickly shoved them into the pockets of his slacks to hide them from sight and jogged after Kakashi, who almost reached the stairs leading outside. The two young shinobi slowly walked down the passage leading out from the tower. When they finally reached the open air, Toroku lifted his head toward the warm Sun. He felt like he was frozen deep inside his body to his bones, and he gratefully drank in every warm beam of the afternoon sun. He finally looked down at Kakashi to meet his eyes.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I also freaked out when I first met him." The jonin averted his gaze and his shoulders trembled as a shiver ran across them.

"I hate that snake… I always felt chills running up and down my back when he looked at me with his creepy eyes." Toroku watched his companion with curious eyes and opened his mouth.

"Who is he?"

"He is one of the three legendary sannin, the students of Hokage-sama. A very powerful shinobi."

Toroku only nodded in understanding, and he glanced up for a last look to the Hokage tower, then followed the already leaving Kakashi without a word. He couldn't avert his thoughts from Orochimaru, and he felt another cold tremble building inside his spine.

* * *

When the two young shinobi left the room, Sarutobi was finally left alone with the two men in the office. A quick motion with his arms and Minato felt as four imperceptible chakra signatures disappeared from the room as the Hokage's personal ANBU guard dismissed from the office. _'Well, this is going to be a serious talk.'_

Sarutobi slowly reached for his pipe, knocking out the remaining ashes without scattering any of it onto the desk to replace it with fresh tobacco with his experienced hands. He snapped his fingers and blue chakra flames appeared on the tip of them to light his pipe. After three small puffs of the smoke, the old Hokage leaned back into his chair, eying the two shinobi carefully, then motioned toward two chairs in front of his desk. After a minute of complete silence, he closed his eyes to gather his thoughts and slowly lowered his hand with the pipe onto the desk.

"As you know, I sent out delegations to the elemental countries to negotiate a peace treaty." The two shinobi only nodded and Sarutobi raised his pipe for another puff.

"The end of this war is near, and with that there are other important matters that must be taken care of."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Gaining trust is a long and hard way, not just a few chapters. ;)

And who could forget about our favorite antagonist?

I know and I'm absolutely sorry. Leaving your there for this long with that cliffhanger…I'm sorry one more time. I wanted to upload this chapter together with the next one, to conciliate you, but my beta disappeared in thin air. :( I would be really glad if someone could help me in this issue, I don't want to upload unchecked chapters. So yes, I'm looking for a new Beta reader, who can help me with the grammar and with everything else regarding the story. If you got the courage to help me with my insane grammar and tense usage, don't hesitate to send a pm.

I know what will I receive in the reviews after this chapter…but before what you are waiting eagerly to happen actually happens, there are some things which have to be done, some bonds which have to be formed. Be patient we are almost there.


	8. Chapter 8 – Leaders

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

**Original upload date: 24/01/2013**

**Last update: 27/01/2013  
**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 8. – Leaders**

* * *

Toroku suddenly jerked up from his bed, facing the window in front of him. The plain moonlight leaked inside the small room, painting everything in silver. The boy slowly leaned forward to sit crossed legs and buried his head into his laps, trying to calm down his quickly beating heart. After a long minute his panting died down as he caught his breath, leaving the room in complete silence except the distance tick of the clock. The drenched shirt was sticking onto his skin like glue; a shiver ran down on his body from the disgusting feeling.

A sigh left his mouth as he peeked at the alarm clock next to the bed. _'Three in the morning. Damn.' _He leaned back as he closed his eyes again in the hope that maybe his adrenaline flushed body could still settle down and fall back to sleep again. He threw out the idea. It was impossible for his alarm ready body to sink back into a dream. Maybe into another nightmare. He shook his head to ease the already slowly vanishing scenes of him struggling in a sewer in ankle deep water, the rusty door without a handle and that thing behind it, grumbling only meters from him. Another sigh left his mouth and he slowly headed towards the bathroom for a lifesaving shower.

* * *

A small group gathered in Minato's apartment as it was a direct order from him to be there exactly on time, especially underlined for Kakashi who, to everyone's surprise, showed up on time. The whole team and Kushina were sitting impatiently in the living room waiting for the one who ordered absolute punctuality.

The redhead seemed to be the most irritated, given how she was sitting on the couch and leaning against her palm while she tapped her cheek with remarkable speed.

"If he doesn't arrive soon I'm going to kill him…he will be expelled from the bedroom to sleep on this couch if he doesn't appear in the next thirty seconds." Toroku and Rin shared a low chuckle at the rambunctiousness of Kushina. The always stoic Kakashi doesn't confute his name as he just rolled his eyes, picked up a glass of water, and turned towards the group.

"Nobody knows what he is up to with this little gathering?"

"Nothing, he just gave the instructions and then disappeared without any word."

"The same for me." Toroku nodded in agreement with everyone else. A moment later Toroku smiled when the familiar chakra signature reached them from the bedroom.

"Sorry, I was detained." Minato let an apologetic smile appear on his face as he moved closer to the group.

"You know, you were only three seconds from sleeping on the couch," Toroku added cheekily and glanced toward Kushina who nodded and sent an angry look to Minato.

"So why are we here sensei?" With curiosity in her eyes, Rin looked up at the blond who started grinning from ear to ear, gathering confused looks from everybody.

"I asked you to be here because Kushina lost a bet."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kushina snorted and looked up at him with an annoyed look, but Minato stayed silence.

"We are here for an idiotic bet?" Toroku muttered giving an angry glance toward the still grinning Minato. Kakashi and Rin stayed silent while frowning. The blonde's smile became almost hysterical and Kushina stared at him with the biggest frown she could manage before she slowly asked.

"Exactly which bet are you talking about?!"

"I'm talking about THE bet." The frown slowly melted away from Kushina's face and replaced by a suspicious glance, earning confused look from everybody else in the room.

"You mean THE bet?" Minato nodded still grinning like a maniac.

"No way…" Kushina's mouth slowly opened, her eyes widened locked onto the blonde.

"Oh…Yes. The Sandaime had talked me yesterday and offered it."

Silence filled the room, leaving the still smiling Minato at the middle of the room. Within a blink of an eye in a speed which Minato could also envy, Kushina burst out toward the blond, clinging onto his neck and sending them down to the floor. Kushina and Minato were the main attraction for the rest of the team, who looked back and forth from each other's confused faces toward the other scene where Kushina was sitting on Minato's chest, laughing hysterically. Toroku cleared his throat to gain their attention with lack of success. The three teens patiently waited until the hysterical laughter were reduced into small chuckles and the two shinobi finally regained themselves from the floor.

"Soo, would you mind to tell us what the hell that was?" Toroku was the first to ask with a wondering tone toward Minato who never stopped smiling.

"The successor of the third Hokage is chosen dattebane." Kushina answered beside Minato who was holding his side because of the laughter.

"You! What I thought happened actually did?!" Kakaski throw away his stoic face, his eye now wide and he pointed a trembling finger towards the blonde's chest. Toroku moved his head around with a confused look then focused on Minato who bowed theatrically with a tawdry hand movement, still grinning.

"Let me introduce the fourth Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato…Namikaze Minato."

After a second silence everyone but Minato burst out at the same time, rotating unbelief, congratulations and questions.

"Hey, hey just one at a time. I can't follow you."

"So that is why you and Orochimaru were summoned yesterday," Kakashi stated as he gathered back his stoic expression on the small visible part of his face. Minato only nodded as a reply.

"I would die to have seen the face that snake made when he realized that you are going to be elected instead of him." Minato sent a half smile toward Kushina.

"Well, he was stoic in the surface, but I bet my life that he was screaming like a girl on the inside."

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" Kushina sent an angry look toward the blond from her seat next to him.

"I wanted to announce it when you were together."

"It's already official?"

"Not yet Kakashi, the final council meeting will be the day after tomorrow, and the official announcement will still be after weeks. But Sarutobi want me to participate on the negotiation process, so it seems to be that I will be out of town a lot in the near future. He wants to hand over his paperwork as soon as possible to enjoy his retirement." The blond slowly chuckled at the thought.

"What will happen to the team Minato-sensei?" Rin was the one who finally asked the question which bothered the remaining team members. The blond shook his head slowly before he could answer.

"Actually I don't know yet. Until Sarutobi completely hands over the tasks we will be officially together. After that, it doesn't matter what will happen; we will remain team Minato."

The elder blond looked back with a soft, bittersweet smile. He also thought about this. There was no way that his referenced small team would stay together too long. Maybe they would get another jonin sensei, but that wasn't a long term option. Kakashi was already a jonin, miles away from Rin's level and Toroku…He eyed the teen in front of him, but when he started to turn his head he quickly averted his eyes to meet a pair of narrowed blue orbs: Kushina's.

"It's okay. We could meet anytime when we just want, right?" Rin answered with a soft smile, and broke the starting depression which slowly started to trail inside the others heads.

"Hey, this screams for a celebration doesn't it? Ramen?" Kushina rose from the couch and turned her big smile towards the team, receiving a wide grin from Toroku and positive nods from the others.

* * *

Toroku wandered slowly on the streets of Konoha, moving without any destination and guided only by pure instinct on the narrow streets that were far away from the city center. Toroku was bored. Minato had been with the Hokage for the last few days, so Toroku barely saw him, and today was the day for him to participate at the council meeting. Kushina and Kakashi were out on a mission and Rin barricaded herself in the Hospital. The boy kicked out a small innocent stone from his way to channel his frustration. Every training ground was already occupied. Most of them were young genins, or jounins, who he didn't know. Since he wasn't in the mood to speak with strangers to join any of them he ended up wandering back into the Village.

He reached a red bridge and a warm feeling trailed inside his thoughts. He felt happy as he leaned on the railing and started watching the small stream under his feet. _'Hokage…Minato going to be the fourth Hokage...' _A strange mix of emotionsran through him when Minato announced it. Pride, as great as a mountain…and jealousy…it glared at him with his glowing green eyes like a monster under a child's bed in the night. He shook his head. He couldn't place the enormous jealousy he felt toward his brother. He let out a sigh and placed his head onto his hands on the bridge._ 'I need some entertainment.'_

He slowly closed his eyes and spread out his chakra in a thin, imperceptible layer to map his surroundings. A cheeky smile ran across his face when he found what he was looking for.

* * *

Minato arrived precisely at the time when Saurtobi asked. The council of Konoha gathered for the special announcement of the Third. However nobody told them the goal, but everybody had his or her own suspicion. The war was almost over and Sarutobi wasn't going to be younger. Perfect time to elect a new Hokage who could lead the Village out of the shadows of the war and gain new allies. The two men slowly approached the round meeting room where the council members had already gained their seats. Minato stayed in the background while Sarutobi moved to the highest chair placed in front of the door to the right of his two advisors and old team mate. The clan representatives, the leader of the shinobi forces sat around curved tables waiting patiently for the old man to finally settle down. Sarutobi cleared his throat before he started.

"Thank you for your attendance. I know that this is a hard time with everyone coordinating the rebuilding process." The Hokage left a small space to gather some small nods from the members before he continued.

"As you were already informed previously, the goal of the meeting is a special announcement. I felt that the time has come for me to step back from my seat." The shinobi in the room stayed calmed and silent, already prepared for this in advance.

"The goal of this meeting is to choose the fourth Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato." Sarutobi let the silence fall onto the room as he eyed the members one by one, watching for any hints.

"My chosen successor is Namikaze Minato as the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha." Hiruzen moved his hand toward Minato, who started slowly approach toward the Sandaime to stand behind his seat.

"Before we continue, I have to ask if any attendees have other candidate for the position."

Sarutobi slowly eyed the members one by one again, waiting for any answers. Someone cleared his throat on his right and he slowly closed his eyes when it reached his ears. A man raised from his seat, in black and gray robe with black, shaggy hair. The half of his face was covered by bandages and an x shaped scar sat on his chin. Sarutobi let out a sigh and turned toward the aged shinobi.

"We are listening Danzo-san." The man cleared his throat again, slowly eying the members one by one.

"I nominate myself as the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato." Hiruzen nodded and turned toward the frowning but calm blond.

"I would like to give the first word to Danzo-sama, Hokage-sama." Minato bowed politely toward the standing man who nodded and slowly moved toward the center of the curved tables. His stoic expression never left his face.

"I nominated myself because Namikaze is not suitable for this position. The war isn't over yet and we should prepare our forces and straighten our position as the strongest hidden village of the elemental nations. He is the student of Jiraiya, the toad sannin who was the student of our current Hokage known as a liberal leader and unfortunately not a strong one. I'm confident that Jiraiya passed the same lecture onto his own student. The other Kages are all forceful and fearsome leaders and Konoha can't allow herself to show any weakness in times like this."

Danzo turned around to face with each council members and the stoic face of Sarutobi, carefully avoiding the emotionless face of Minato, while he let his sentences settle down before he continued.

"Konoha maybe will come out from the war on the winning side, but you already know what the price was. Dozens of young and talented shinobis died on the battlefields because Sarutobi didn't send more troops, despite the fact that Konoha's genin forces were not used."

Sarutobi frowned at the statement, but he stayed in total silence while watching the man with curiosity in his eyes. Eventually he cleared his throat.

"Danzo-sama, I would like to remind you that the purpose is this meeting is to elect our new Hokage and not to criticize my war tactics."

A half small smile appeared on a man's face at the right of Sarutobi. He was the Jonin commander, the head of the Nara clan and also the strategy advisor of the Sandaime; he had his dark hair tied up into a spiky ponytail with two long scars running across his face.

"It is essential to criticize your strategy, because if our new leader will be Namikaze, he will have inherited the same aspects. We have a powerful weapon, a great tool amongst our leaders and it wasn't used properly. We have the power of a bijuu, and the ninetail's vessel wasn't sent to direct battle during the years of the third shinobi war. We cannot allow Konoha to become weak after the war, or else she will be an easy prey to the other nations. We have to reinforce the current soft laws and straighten ourselves with a forceful and experienced leader and not someone almost out from the academy."

Danzo slowly turned around one more time before he left the center of the table and moved back to his seat. The blond felt his blood start to boil when Danzo talked about Kushina as a weapon, a mere tool of the war. He hardened himself and calmed down his increasing rage, concentrating to suppress the rising killing intent toward Danzo. Sarutobi nodded toward Minato who replaced himself in the center after he let out a long breath. He politely bowed one more time to every direction.

"It is true that the war isn't over yet. The hard part is just starting with the negotiations, which could give lifelong enemies or also new alliances. The Kages and the representatives need a well-known name and not a faceless shadow, who almost never appeared in public nor took any real part of the previous fights..."

Minato let a small silence before he continued, facing the narrow eyes of Danzo.

"The responsibilities of a Kage are to sacrifice everything for his Village and it couldn't be done from the background. I was at the battlefields, I saw the enemies and met the Kages. Maybe I am young, but I am not inexperienced in the life of the shinobi by watching it from the shadows. The strategy of the third ninja war was made to save as many lives as we just could. If we had sent out the newly formed genin teams without any real experience they would be dead. Yes, maybe some of our higher ranked shinobi would have survived, but it would have come at the cost of our next generation." He turned around again.

"Danzo-sama said that Konoha needs a forceful leader who will lead the village into a completely military state. The Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato should serve the welfare of his people and not the other way around. Shinobi are not tools of power. There are enough names on the memorial stone. Konoha needs someone who will lead the village out from the darkness of war and not deeper into it."

"You speak about yourself as the light." Danzo stated calmly without any expression.

"I am the Yellow Flash of Konoha. I am more the light which warms up the leaves than the roots growing under the shadows." Danzo's only visible eye twitched at retort.

"A real shinobi remains anonymous. Hiding in the shadows, waiting patiently; that is the true form of a ninja and not open to the word, spreading around his jutsus."

"Maybe the shinobi world needs change Danzo-sama. Changes that someone who was raised by the old world cannot afford." Danzo didn't make any comment and Minato tapped his own shoulder in his mind.

"Thank you for your time." Minato bowed once again and moved back to his original place next to Hiruzen, who by then was slowly eyeing the members again.

"If there are no more questions or comments…" Sarutobi waited for a few second, waiting for any movement. When nothing came he nodded, more to himself then to the council members.

"I hereby open the vote. I Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha and the leader of the Sarutobi clan, support Namikaze Minato as the Youndaime Hokage." The old Hokage turned to his right, waiting for the other members to vote.

"I Nara Shikaku as the representation of the Nara clan and as the Jonin Commander of Konoha shinobi forces stand for Namikaze Minato as the fourth Hokage."

"ANBU will follow Namikaze Minato." The blond let a smile spread across his face when he heard the short statement of the ANBU captain. _'An ANBU will always stay ANBU. Never out of the line.'_

"As the delegate of the Uchiha clan, I Uchiha Fugaku support Shimura Danzo as the new leader of the village."

"I Shimura Danzo as the head of the council vote for myself." The old shinobi stated without even opening his eyes.

"The Akimichi clan supports Namikaze Minato as the Yondaime."

"Yamanaka Inoichi as the representative of the Yamanaka Clan supports Namikaze Minato." Inoichi sent a warm smile toward the blond.

"I, Hyuuga Hiashi as the Hyuuga clan's leader vote for Namikaze Minato-san."

"The Aburame clan of Konoha will also support Namikaze Minato as the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha."

"The Inuzuka clan also votes for Namikaze Minato."

"Mitokado Homura as the advisor of the Sandaime Hokage will vote for Namikaze Minato."

Minato surpressed a chuckle as he saw Danzo's eye twitch and his stoic expression leave his face, replaced by a frown. _'You didn't think about this, did you? That your old friends would vote for me, Heh? Old war hawk.'_ A smirk formed inside his mind, but he regained himself to not let it spread across his face.

"Utatane Koharu, adviser of the third Hokage will support Namikaze Minato." Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a relieved sigh and he let a small smile to spread on his face.

"Then the decision is made. The next leader of the village, the Youndaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, will be Namikaze Minato.

* * *

The young teen walked on the cobble without any noise as he passed by a high bamboo fence. Distant chuckling could be heard all over the place, echoing from the panels back and forth. The pale smell of sulfur encompassed the place around the steaming water spots around the curving cobble. Toroku moved toward the end of the passage, when he heard another giggle behind a big camellia bush. It was deeper, though still childish. A frown appeared on his face as he realized that someone was able to almost perfectly hide from his senses. He turned around and slowly approached the bush to sneak a peek behind it. A cocky smile spread on his face and he moved toward the crunching form next to the fences without any noise. The teen stopped next to the white haired man and sat down crossed legs, while he ran wind chakra onto his trigger-finger's pad and pushed it onto the bamboo to lean toward the newly made small hole.

"Anything interesting?"

"Oh, yes the blond in the corner a second ago lost her towel and when she…" The white haired, middle aged men's head flung toward the teen, to face the profile of a head, mostly shroud with brown locks peeking into the baths by a new whole.

"I was occupied I think. I didn't sense you."

"I'm that good old man."

"I'm not old!" The brown haired teen didn't turn toward him. Instead he just shrugged, his eyes still attached to the hole.

"You are just an old pervert." The white haired man eyed the teen from head to toe carefully, waiting for him to turn around to finally face him, but he didn't move.

"Look who is speaking…" He narrowed his eyes as he felt the thin, almost insensible layer of chakra on his face and hair, the obvious sign of a henge.

"I'm just a healthy and curious teenager…while you are an old pervert." The white haired man snorted and turned back to his own hole.

"What's the henge for?" The teen shrugged still focused on the inside.

"Incognito…" The man chuckled at the statement but he stopped when he felt the approaching presence of somebody else on a distant tree, lurking behind the shadows of the leafs.

"And I thought I could be by myself a little bit more. Man, I had just arrived…" The man muttered quietly under his mouth to himself. The teen raised an eyebrow without turning around.

"What are you talking about?"

"About my masked company…"

"Oh, ANBU-chan belongs to me. She is my baby sitter. I thought I finally threw her off ten minutes ago but it seems she found me this time pretty quickly." The teen waved a hand toward the tree without turning around, earning a frustrated groan from the tree and a raised eyebrow from the white haired man. _'ANBU guard for a teenager?'_

Toroku actually wanted to measure his ANBU's patience by waiting for her intervention. He was bored and he could think only about his favorite engagement. Annoying his ANBU guard in many many ways was always a good way to while away some time and it was also enjoyable. However sitting next to this stranger made his heart ache with the mix of sorrow and happiness continuously stinging his insides. But it was still a pleasant feeling. They just sat side by side for long minutes without any interruption. The only noise broke the pleasant silence between them was the small giggles from the white haired man next to him, making Toroku to smile and his heart to warm up. He focused his senses more to his companion then to the naked girls behind the fence, listening to his heartbeat, inhaling his scent of distant lands and something which reminded him of wet soil. His gentle and warm chakra signature continuously and slowly stroked his insides, forcing the boy to relax and his muscles to almost melt from the feeling. He slowly closed his eyes, completely forcing out everything else from his mind about the outer world and his surroundings. Complete peace fell upon him as the last remnants of the outside world left his senses.

Someone cleared his throat only centimeters behind them, forcing Toroku to turn around slowly. However he already knew what he would see: an angry Minato, his arms folded in front of his chest watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Eh, hi…" Toroku raised his hands behind his head to scratch the back of head in his embarrassment, but a cheeky smile still spread across his face.

"I'm not surprised by your behavior Jiraiya, but I never thought you found any company." Toroku glanced quickly towards the white haired man who didn't move from his hole, his eyes still fixed on the other side of the bamboo fence.

"Minato, you are too stiff…You should relax. Want a hole too? Just like in the good old times." The almost Hokage felt the increasing heat in his face as the blood flood into his cheeks.

"What?" Toroku snapped his head toward the white haired man with wide eyes, then glanced back and forth between the two men. _'Minato, a closet pervert!?'_

"Do not crush my reputation!" Minato put his head into one of his hands, shaking it slowly, desperately trying to make the moment undone.

The white haired man softly chuckled and finally turned around and stood up from the hole to face Minato. He moved next to him and placed his hand onto his shoulders and finally had a chance to observe his peeking companion. A young teen rose up from the grass, maybe in his eighteens. The henge covered his whole body flawlessly. The teen observed him carefully, the chocolate brown orbs moved from his long white spiky hair tied together on his back, then dwelled on his forehead protector. The boy tilted his head to the side as his eyes moved toward the two red lines ran down on his face. Minato let out a sigh and waved a hand toward the teen.

"Come, I'll give you a lift…" Jiraiya felt as one of his eyebrows move up in his surprise, eyeing the teen with increased curiosity.

"It's okay, I can walk." Minato only rolled his eyes and waved his hand once more, forcing the teen to move closer after a sigh. The three males disappeared from the baths and with a second delay they were in the middle of the Hokage's office facing Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama." Toroku bowed politely while feeling only a distant dull in his head. He turned to Minato, curious about his plans and the reasons why he even wanted him here.

"It's good to see you again old man." The white haired man moved toward the desk and the village leader, earning a raised eyebrow from the teen.

"The same for you, my old friend. I thought you wouldn't return until the next week." The white haired man just shrugged.

"I picked them up at the bathhouses. They were enjoying the sight." Sartobi moved his eyes to the teen who was scratching his cheeks. Chuckling, Hiruzen's mouth moved to a knowing smile. The white haired man raised an eyebrow and turned towards Minato.

"How do even you know I was in the town? I had just arrived."

"Actually I didn't know. I went to pick up that idiot over there." Toroku raised an eyebrow.

"And that was why you made a statement about personal privacy…What if I was, for example, with a girl?" Minato only rolled his eyes as a reply.

"Drop the henge. It's annoying."

"I won't…" Toroku frowned and turned away from him as a childish response, already sulking.

"Toroku, drop the henge. Why do you even you have that on anyway?" The blond snorted while turning toward Minato with an odd expression on his face.

"To look after your reputation."

The teen sent a cheeky and knowing smile toward the blond, underlining the word reputation in reference to the previous comment of the white haired man at the baths, before he moved his hands to release the jutsu. Minato again only rolled his eyes in response and a soft chuckle came from the third Hokage.

Jiraiya's right eye twitched as Toroku's henge disappeared. He turned to face the blond boy, realizing that he had the same azure blue eyes as his old student. His eyes ran over the whisker marks on Toroku's cheeks, observing the familiar features of his face: the line of his jugular, his nose, his bright hair. Everything screamed at him that this was Minato's relative.

"Toroku, I would like to introduce my sensei."

"Odoroki Toroku." The young boy, bowed politely watching the white haired man with curious eyes. _'Sensei? Minato was trained by a pervert?'_ Before he could continue his thoughts, the man jumped into a theatrical pose, moving his hands like he was in a kabuki performance. Toroku raised his right eyebrow until his hairline and his brain black out by the sight.

"I am the toad sannin of Mount Myoboku, the great sage Jiraiya, mugger of lonely woman hearts, savior of the vulnerable…"Toroku rolled his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"You are still just an old pervert…" The sage's eyes narrowed at the statement.

"I'm not old! And you had also peeked brat!"

"I'm a healthy teenager with rampaging hormones, and you didn't even deny that you are a pervert dattebayo!" Toroku shouted back at the man, pointing a finger toward him.

"No…I'm not a pervert! I'm a…Super Pervert!" The teen turned to Minato with a raised questioning eyebrow, who was by then holding his head in his hands, slowly shaking it in disbelief.

"And you told me that I could be an idiot sometimes…"

"Cocky little brat…" Jiraiya muttered and folded his arms in front of his chest. The yellow flash of Konoha let out a long, weary sigh and another chuckle could be heard from the leader of the village.

"Hey, how was the meeting?" Toroku turned toward Minato when he suddenly realized why he was even looking for him.

"We will talk later Toroku." Minato didn't directly answer the question but sent a wide grin toward him. The teen nodded and grinned back in understanding, than bowed to the others before he left the room. He was followed by a gaze from Jiraiya, who turned immediately toward Minato when the doors closed.

"Explain! Who is this boy?"

The almost Hokage moved toward a chair in front of the desk, sat down, and turned towards his sensei resting his chin on his hands, gathering his thoughts while Sarutobi stoically puffing from his pipe, filling the room with the sweet scent of herbs. Meanwhile Jiraiya moved to the other chair, removing the large scroll from his back and sat down facing the two men waiting curiously for the explanation of what he saw minutes before.

"A little more than five weeks ago my team found him on a training ground, wounded, appearing from nowhere. He was unconscious for almost a week, and when he finally woke up he knocked out seven well trained shinobi with a chakra burst to dismiss a non-existing genjutsu." Minato stopped and narrowed his eyes before he continued.

"When Sarutobi and I arrived at the hospital he blacked out again when he saw us…"

"…Well, that is a quite understandable reaction, you are fearsome opponents." Minato shook his head.

"No…he wasn't afraid of us." Sarutobi didn't interfere only nodded and exhaled another puff of smoke while observing the raised eyebrow of the sannin.

"When he had woken up again on the same day, he didn't remember anything. He lost his memories and he is now one of the shinobi of Konoha since two and a half weeks." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and frowned. He knew very well what that could mean.

"Any suspicious movement?"

"No, he gets a checkup once a week with Inoichi Yamanaka, but until now we found nothing. Actually so much so that there is neither sign of head trauma, nor any sign of a jutsu that could cause his memory loss."

"Our little friend until now showed only remarkable abilities and nothing suspicious. However some special circumstances are pointing towards something bigger than just a mere accidental appearance from nowhere." Sarutobi stated calmly, eying Minato carefully. The sage leaned forward to his knees, closer to his old student.

"Based on the blood tests, he is my brother…or most likely my half-brother…" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes watching the blond with wondering eyes.

"Precautions are prepared I guess?" Minato nodded.

"Continuous ANBU surveillance and he was joined to my own team and also accommodated next to my house to be near if something happens."

"ANBU? That doesn't bother him too much, as I saw."

"Indeed. Toroku-kun has a remarkable sensing ability and a habit to annoy his ANBU guards with his skills. Or anyone near him…" Sarutobi moved his mouth into a small smile, chewing his pipe with a wondering look on his face.

"I saw that. Cheeky little brat." Jiraiya snorted and laughed loudly.

"Still, if there is a chance that he is after your life, why did you place him near you?"

"Because we have doubts that anyone else can handle him easily." Jiraiya burrowed his eyebrows in a continuous thin line.

"We made an assessment and he achieved the rank of chuunin, but most of his true abilities are still hidden. However, everything points towards the fact that he was an 'S' class shinobi before he lost his memories."

"Bullshit. He is still just a kid."

"His chakra coils are as well developed as yours, mine or Sarutobi's, he has more chakra than the three of us combined, and he could handle at least three chakra elements easily. At least, we have already seen three and I'm not ruling out that it could be more. Also, he completed one of my barrier seals in less than half an hour. A barrier I've been working on for more than a month…he completed it and then also increased its effectiveness after another twenty five minutes." The sannin felt as his jaw dropped and his eyes widened after Minato finished.

"You are just joking aren't you?" The two men stayed completely calm, forcing the sage to lean back in his chair.

"Shit…So Konoha gained a genius…or a ticking bomb..." Minato only nodded without any word and Jiraiya started to scratch his chin as he lost in his thoughts.

"Can I see his personal file, or you do want to me to be involved this much?"

"Actually I would like to ask you much more." The yellow flash sent a smile back at him and nodded toward Hiruzen.

"I have chosen my next successor…"

"Oh, so you finally brought yourself to retire old man." Jiraiya chuckled.

"So, who is the next victim of the village council?" Sarutobi smiled and pointed a finger toward the blond.

"Can I congratulate you already Minato-chan?" The blond chuckled and waved a hand.

"You can count on the clan leaders and mostly every shinobi, the only problem could be is Danzo." Sarutobi stated calmly and Minato sighed and closed his fingers together to lean on them.

"I know…Danzo; he definitely could be a big problem... "Minato lost in his thoughts for a moment then blinked and turned toward Jiraiya.

"I need your support in Toroku's case. If…If something goes wrong, I need someone who can handle him since I won't be always there next to him in the future."

"You can count on my help my friend." They shared a warm smile.

"I'm glad. We have to discuss a lot of things now..." Jiraiya raised a finger before Minato could say anything more.

"But first I want to lay down one very important thing. I won't take over team Minato. I don't have any problem with the small girl, but Kakashi annoys me to hell with his rule fanaticism, and I won't be the sitting target of Obito's idiocy… plus that cheeky Toroku kid. I'm sure the two brats hit it off together and I won't play the babysitter role for four teenagers." The sage folded his arms together in front of his chest, but he reversed the motion and frowned when he saw as Minato's face froze and his eyes darkened.

"…Minato?"

"Uchiha Obito was killed in our mission at the Kannabi Bridge…not a week before Toroku appeared." Jiraiya looked back at his one-time student with worry on his face.

"Gaki…Sorry. I didn't know about that."

"It's okay. You were out of town for two months." Minato let out a sigh and ran his hands through his blond hair, gathering his feelings and his thoughts.

"I'll need your help in two things. First, we have a very feasible theory about Toroku's sudden appearance and we will need your spy network. The evidence points towards a wandering Uchiha with an active sharingan. We need every information on who could it be and every available help to find out his identity. We have an unknown rogue Uchiha, or someone stole a Kekkei genkai from an unknown corpse without our and the clan's knowledge..."

"You mean someone got his hands on a sharingan and had it implanted?" Minato only nodded.

"I see. And the other thing would be to have an eye on Toroku, isn't it?"

"Indeed. I know the team won't stay together and it also won't be too healthy since the power levels are now too spread open, but I would like to ask you to replace me as the jonin sensei of team Minato for a while. It would be the easiest way to inspect him continuously."

Jiraiya let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"I told you, they will finish me off."

"They changed a lot…Kakashi lost his fanaticism and Rin, well she is the same kind girl. Toroku is a loud mouthed brat like Obito was, but he is also a very interesting young shinobi with honorable goals." Jiraiya only snorted.

"What honorable goals could a teenage boy have?" Minato let a knowing smile on his face, earning a raised eyebrow from Jiraiya.

"Read his file. I'll wait for your reply of course. And this is not an order, this is a request."

"Hey Gaki, you aren't already wearing that hat you know; don't be so full of yourself." Minato only chuckled and waved a hand in response to his old sensei and disappeared from the room leaving the two men alone.

"Blonds are always problematic…" Jiraiya sighed and Sarutobi chuckled at the statement knowingly.

* * *

Minato and his late sensei were sitting together at a small stand, two small cups in front of them and a bottle of fine sake on the counter between them. The Sun's last beams still burned their back in a comfortable way, creating long shadows on the counter.

"So, it's time for a proper celebration I think." Jiraiya raised his hands with the cup, waiting for Minato to mimic the movement.

"To our fearless, wise, and flaxen new leader."

Minato rolled his eyes in his annoyance but raised his hands with a soft smile on his face and drank his drink in one fast shot. A shudder ran across his spine as the alcohol flew down and reached his stomach. He snorted at the feeling, but still enjoyed the aftereffects when a minute later a pleasant warm feeling started to spread from his inside toward his weary brain.

"I needed that one."

"I'm always aware of what is good for you, Gaki." Minato leaned his head to the side, waiting for the **crapping** voice as the joints snapped.

"Did you read the file?" Minato filled another round without looking or asking his companion, knowing that he wouldn't reject the fine liquid. Jiraiya slowly raised his cup and slurped a small amount of sake before he answered.

"I did…" Minato looked back at the sage, waiting for more, but nothing came out from the old sannin's mouth.

"And?"

"How are you handling him?" Minato sipped from his own cup before he answered.

"In the beginning it was easy. He was a teen who suddenly appeared from nowhere, with a very charming personality and resemblance. After Sarutobi revealed our connection…It…It changed…I tried to deny my attachment to him and make distance…but…"

"But you couldn't…" Jiraiya finished his sentence and Minato nodded.

"I still don't know what I should do with him…"

"I see…" Jiraiya drank his remaining sake and turned toward the blond.

"I found something strange in his file." Minato snorted and laughed.

"Only one thing? That boy is an enigma, a living and walking surprise. He really deserves his given surname."

"It is about his memory fragment." Minato raised an eyebrow and turned toward his sensei with a serious look on his face, who is now feel for something in his bag.

"I didn't show it to anyone yet, and I wanted you to be the first one who got it."

"Got what?" Minato asked.

Jiraiya finally found what he was looking for and he pulled out a small angled object, wrapped in soft brown canvas. He slowly put it down onto the counter and started to free it from the textile, to review a small brown book.

"I finally found a publisher for my first book. This is the first copy and the real print will be started next week." Minato, confused, slowly raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"And how is it connected with the memory fragment?"

"I wanted you to be the first one to read it and give an honest opinion about it. So I would like to ask you to read it."

Minato grasped the small book and examined the jacket. Then he slowly opened it and saw his sensei's picture on the first page. He was younger in it. His face was smoother. His hair was shorter and not so shaggy, and the two red lines which now ran through his whole face were only touching his cheeks. A small smile appeared on his face as he ran his fingers along the picture while the scent of fresh paper and the fine ink gently stroked his nose.

"I still don't get it."

"Just read the book and you will understand."

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"Sorry Gaki, no spoilers…"

"Jiraiya, this is serious." The sannin just shrugged and slipped another from his sake.

"Now, start reading. We haven't got that much time you know."

Minato let out a defeated moan and a sigh before thumbing to the first page; he was silent for the remaining hour. Only low snorts and moans left his mouth when he read one or two scene. He moved only to slip some sake from his cup, which, to his surprise, was always full. It didn't matter how much he had already drunk thanks to Jiraiya's hard work and vigilant eyes. After a long hour, he finally leaned back and shut the small book to turn toward his sensei.

"So?" Minato turned his head upwards, thinking for a minute before he answered with a smirk.

"It's great! And some of the scenes are familiar. I'm sure it is based on your own life."

"Well, you think so? Thank you." Jiraiya scratched his cheek in embarrassment and he felt his cheeks turned to a reddish color.

"I like how the protagonist refused to give up at the end." Minato scratched his chin and turned toward Jiraiya, flipping the book back to the last pages.

"However…"

"So, you also noticed…"

"It's weird. Like he quoted word to word from this book."

"Those are Nagato's words…" Minato raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"I wrote this book during the Second Great Shinobi war. I made two scripts and nobody knows about this. I left one at the publisher and the other one at Amegakure…with Nagato when I left." Jiraiya sipped once more from his sake before he refilled his own and also Minato's cup.

"And this means that he is probably from Amegakure, what is more he knew Nagato at some point."

"I thought they died…" Minato frowned.

"Indeed, and it could explain why he talked about a legacy."

"So you think he was his student?" Jiraiya shrugged.

"Comrade is a more possible option. They would be now, how old? Around twenty? It would also explain a lot of other things. Even I am not receiving much information from there. I only know that currently it is led by Hanzo. Ame had been isolated completely since the second shinobi war ended. That could explain why we had never heard of him if he is as capable as the file said. An 'S' class shinobi never stay out of battles for very long, especially not in wartime like this." Minato gently stroked his chin, wondering about the possibility.

"What if he works for Hanzo?"

"I doubt that, Gaki. With that legacy…moreover Hanzo is a man of power, and by the last reports about him, he gained quite the paranoia, constantly fearing being assassinated. I doubt that he would allow for anybody near him to become powerful enough to threaten his life, or his seat as a leader. Nagato has the rinnegan, he was able to use every chakra nature. He could teach him how use more than one or two."

"Toroku said that he felt like he doesn't have a family…" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at the statement not finding any connections with the theme.

"When we know about our relationship, he told me that every time he needs something, the information would just pop up from his basic knowledge, but he found nothing about family. During the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha and the other nations left a lot of refugees and orphans for Ame…" Jiraiya nodded as he realized the connections.

"From the elemental countries I would absolutely rule out Iwa. With that face of his, he would be killed in his early years. You gained too many enemies in Stone….however…" Jiraiya made a wondering face before he continued his thoughts.

"I have one option in my mind for Stone: demonstration. They know that we are able to realize the blood relation, and killing one of your relatives before sending his bloodied body to Konoha…it could greatly affect the morale of our troops. They somehow found the boy and they had sent him here to demonstrate that they could kill a Namikaze…"

"That could be an option, however if that was the case it was an absolute failure. First, he is alive. Second they send him to one of our training grounds, not to the middle of the town where it is crowded with people. Furthermore, gaining a new and strong shinobi is just raising the morale. So, if it was them, we should be grateful."

"Maybe it wasn't willful, just something went wrong. Maybe they didn't count on his healing ability and misjudged our security seals." Jiraiya shrugged, while Minato lost in his thoughts before he continued after a minute of silence.

"Kumo is definitely out. When we fought with Killer Bee, they didn't recognize him and I doubt the brother of the Raikage would not know a powerful shinobi and a seal master like him especially since Bee is a jinchuriki. His abilities with wind chakra could still point toward Suna and we should also count with Kiri." Minato stated with a wondering look on his face.

"A seal master from the bloody mist? That sounds like some science fiction." Jiraiya shook his head and Minato chuckled softly before it died down and the blond let out a weary sigh.

"We are still just poking in the dark…" Minato stated with soft weary tone, hovering his fingers around his small cup of sake on the desk.

"That is true. However if he is a part of a well-defined assassination plan from any of the elemental countries…They somehow put their hands on your lost relative, trained him, wounded him, sent him here with a stolen sharingan, evaded all of our top level security, only to insinuate him into your favor, and were aware about your upcoming election as Hokage; that is just too…complicated. The small countries wouldn't make a profit from your assassination, Suna has its own financial problems to concentrate on, the Raikage has also just taken over his seat, Kiri is too unstable to perform this complex plan, and I doubt the old Onoki of Stone would bother himself this much only to get rid of you, despite your reputation."

"Amegakure still is the most possible option with its complete isolation, which could also hide someone with a sharingan. It is more possible than any of others and it gives us answers, while the others give only more questions. The correct one is usually the most plausible one…"

They stayed in silence for several long minutes while slowly drinking their sake. Each dived inside their own thoughts, racing through the options of their small brainstorming in their minds.

"You know, that boy reminds me of you when you were at his age…" Minato raised an eyebrow, and looked back with a curious look on his face.

"Powerful, cheeky and reckless. Just like you a decade ago." The blond rolled his eyes and diverse the conversation.

"Will you accept my request?" Jiraiya smiled back at his old student.

"Of course. You could announce Team Gaki's birth… But!" He raised one of his fingers and Minato sighed, fearing in advance what he would demand.

"No lame missions. I am one of the sannin, the fearsome toad sage of mountain Myoboku, and I will definitely not chase stupid cats, or do groceries, or anything below A level." Minato frowned.

"I will consider…a C level limit." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, watching Minato in silence for a minute, but in the end just shrugged.

"Escorting is fine, but no lame missions." Minato only smiled and nodded with a smile on his face.

"I need to know the shrimp's current level, so a small spar would be necessary. Especially in Toroku's case. I want to see him in action. The reports were detailed enough, but I trust only in my own eyes."

"Don't be afraid, I think he is eager for a little exercise." Minato chuckled, thinking about the grin Toroku had when he asked for a spar. Jiraiya nodded and got his pack and fixed his giant scroll to his back while placing some money on the counter.

"I'm going. I also need to visit the snake's nest…and I doubt I will find him in a good mood." Minato nodded and waved a hand toward his sensei.

"Then tomorrow at training ground twenty, at ten." The sannin only raised a hand in understanding and stepped out into the dark night, leaving the blond alone with the remaining sake.

* * *

The low sound of blunt footsteps echoed faintly in a long, dark passageway as a dark figure slowly walked toward a great door with carved intarsia. The doors slowly opened without any noise as the man almost reached them, but he didn't have to change the flow of his steps. He stepped into a round office like room with a big mahogany table in the center of it. The figure moved towards it and sat down without a noise and slowly closed his eyes.

"Report." A form appeared in front of the table, crouching, facing the pale floor.

"Jiraiya-sama returned to town and has already contacted him." The dark figure only nodded, but didn't move, nor opened his eyes.

"Keep up the observation and continuously report every move. Dismissed." The figure straightened himself and bowed to the figure.

"As you wish Danzo-sama." The masked man disappeared from the room, and Danzo finally opened his one visible eye and fixed it on the empty room in front of him, without a word, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

Toroku jumped out from his wondering thoughts when he felt a snap on his back wobbling on the street and a moment later he could feel a familiar chakra signature at his back when he gained back his balance.

"Don't do this, idiot." The teen murmured sweeping some non-existing dirt from his shirt.

"I thought you were a sensing genius." Minato grinned back when he moved next to him.

"I wasn't counting on an ambush in the middle of the village…" He moved his hands into his pockets, glancing curiously at his older companion on his side while they slowly walked down the empty street. Minato languidly rolled his shoulders and glanced at the teen.

"What are you doing out this late Toroku?"

"Nothing. Just wandering around…and I'm old enough to be up this late." Toroku shrugged. Minato chuckled and placed his hands into his blue pants, mimicking the teen who continuously watched him from the corner of his eyes with a wondering face.

"You are drunk…"

"I'm also a grown man." Minato shrugged and Toroku rolled his eyes.

"So? How was it? The council meeting?"

"Done. It was a pain in the ass, but it was successful. It's official from today." Minato grinned at the blond.

"So, Hokage-sama…What will be your first order?" Toroku smirked at Minato, who snorted as he answered.

"Don't call me that. I will get enough teasing from Kushina."

"Ho-ka-ge-sa-ma…"Toroku replied with a singing crippling voice, earning another, this time quite painful snap on his back.

"Hey, that hurt. Don't hit the citizens, it's rude you know. What kind of Hokage will you be? Bullying the innocent people…"

Minato let out a soft chuckle and dropped behind a few steps, watching the murmuring and cursing teen from behind. He let a small, warm smile spread across his face as he stopped for a moment and closed his eyes. _'Thanks Kushina.'_

"Hey, are you coming, or you will stay there, daydreaming about your fancy hat?"

Minato chuckled and caught up with Toroku, clasping his left arm around his shoulders.

"You are still an idiot…Oto…" Toroku rolled his eyes, but on the inside he couldn't fill with the warm feeling on his shoulders. He sent a kind smile toward Minato as they walked toward the almost empty streets.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Leaders and perverts. ;) Long live Jiraiya!

Did you like the reunion and the combined peeking jutsu?

I would like to ask a big applause for **Falcon777** who helped in this and some previous chapters. I want to thank him one more time his patience and his hard work.

**Updates on the 21th of January:**

I made some changes in the first and fourth chapters, namely in the first chapter I went back and modified some thoughts about the timeline and the scene when Kurama speak with Naruto. In chapter four I deleted the extreme wind ability.

**Story recommendation:**

If you got ten minutes, read Lady Mirror's Empty room.

**Update on this chapter:**

Minor spelling mistakes and you know what? I missed the Hyuuga clan and the Inuzuka from the vote scene. :)**  
**


	9. Chapter 9 – Promise of a Toad

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

**Original upload date: 26/02/2013**

**Last update: NA**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 9. – Promise of a Toad**

* * *

The breeze was slowly stroking the grass on the training ground in the forenoon sunlight, forcing the living sea to wave gracefully like the never ending emerald ocean. At the shores of the green sea, four figures were sitting next to a cliff, waiting impatiently for the remaining member of the team to finally appear.

"I told you to grab him at his home!" Toroku muttered behind his folded arms, which were rested on his tucked knees. Minato only rolled his eyes in response.

"We could start without him. Kakashi can wait. You promised me a spar Aniki."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did!"

"No…"

"If you're going to continue this, then I'm going to place you two under a genjutsu until Kakashi arrives. Jeez. Act your age," Jiraiya muttered in the background while Rin's soft chuckle could be heard behind the irritated blond teen. Toroku only muttered something incoherent in response and pulled out a scroll, ink and a soft calligraphy brush from his vest's pouch.

"What are you doing?" Minato leaned over his shoulder to examine the open scroll in his lap.

"I'm bored and I want to finish this seal."

"Another barrier seal?"

"Sort of…" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and moved closer to sneak a peek at the scroll.

"That's a trap…" The toad sennin had stated calmly and pointed toward the patters with a grimace on his face.

"And it won't work with this wonky design." Toroku narrowed his eyes and turned toward the sannin.

"It will…I'm not an amateur. Why is the pervert even here?" Jiraiya snorted and turned away from the blond, sulking like a five year old.

"To watch you spar…" Minato slowly shook his head but his eyes were fixed on the fine design. It was unusual as almost all of his previous works, but he was certain that would work. A confused expression appeared on his fine features when his eyes moved to the upper part of the design.

"What will it do with the captives?" Toroku made a cocky smile and turned back to his scroll.

"It will suck their chakra coils dry."

"Then why do you use the lightning here and there? It makes no sense to me." Minato had pointed to several parts of the seal frowning in his confusion.

"That is for a little surprise," he stated with a wicked tone chuckling to himself and earning a raised eyebrow from Jiraiya. Minato slowly stroked his chin eyeing the design carefully from stroke to stroke, lost in his thoughts for a long minute.

"I see now…That is quite a massive trap." Toroku only shrugged, then suddenly flung his head to the side.

"It was really time for that." Toroku muttered and quickly took away his sealing kit and moved a few steps away from the others. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and his mouth fall open when next to Toroku, Kakashi appeared with a Sunshin and he was immediately greeted with a snap on his crown.

"You are late!" Kakashi rubbed his throbbing head and sent an angry look to Toroku while he moved toward the small group, greeting everyone around.

"Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi made a small bow toward the sennin who answered with a nod and turned to Minato.

"So, can we start?"

"Start what exactly?" Kakashi raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You got your re-match Kakashi." An unexpected smirk spread across Kakashi's always stoic face under his mask and he turned toward the blond teen, who had just raised an eyebrow and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Five minutes later the two teens were facing each other in the center of the clearing. Kakashi moved to stance with an unfolded Sharingan, while Toroku remained still, carelessly and confidently watching his partner.

"Sharingan?" Jiraiya glanced toward Minato, who just nodded in return, but he couldn't miss Rin's darkening eyes and the sad expression on her mostly gentle and kind face.

"I see…" The sannin let out a sigh and turned toward the two teens and shout out, "Stay in the clearing!" Toroku just waved a hand in response.

"So, can we start Kakashi-_kun_?" The teen chirped with a singing and cocky voice to his tensed partner, but he only nodded.

The blond let a smirk on his face and he jumped in front of Kakashi, immediately sending a kick toward his face, turning silkily like a dancer and a kunai appeared in his hands from his weapon pouch in the next moment. Suddenly two clones appeared next to him, forcing the jonin to back off from the center and the preponderance. The scarecrow had sent a shuriken toward the nearest clone, who puffed out from existence when the sharp metal connected with his stomach. His place was immediately filled with another clone, who jumped toward Kakashi only to repeat his predecessor's fate a minute later by another shuriken.

"No hand signs?" Jiraiya stated calmly, watching the intense taijutsu, his eyes fixed mostly on Toroku's movements**.**

"No. Nor does he use signs with any of the wind element ninjutsu he showed until now." Jirayya only hemmed in response as he watched the blond perform a perfect backflip, to land on his right arm and send a kunai toward Kakashi with his left hand without a stop in his flow, before he jumped to his feet, and immediately launched himself toward the jonin again.

"He's got an interesting fighting style."

"Indeed. A total mixture. Effective and hardly predictable…and he improved a lot in his taijutsu. Last time Kakashi could countervail him without his sharingan, by speed and also by the effectiveness of his style."

"You think so?" The two men twist backward to face a smirking Toroku, who stepped between the two men and folded his arms in front of his chest, eyeing the ongoing taijutsu battle with the newly appeared five clones.

"I practice a lot lately you know. I uncovered lot of new moves and with that my speed also increased a lot. But I feel something big is still missing from my fighting style…"

Minato frowned and hit the teen hard on the head, who disappeared with a loud puff, leaving behind a small, puffy chakra cloud between the two men. A furious snort could be heard almost immediately from the middle of the clearing, and the blonds around Kakashi who weren't occupied with their opponent turned their heads and look at Minato with an indignant expression. One of the nearest pointed a finger toward him, his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows moved to one coherent line.

"Hey! Don't bully the clones! There was a reason he was there!" The yelling Toroku disappeared when Kakashi send a kunai into his chest. Jiraiya chuckled at the scene and glanced at Minato from the corner of his eyes.

Kakashi jumped backwards and ran his hands though a chain of seals, to slash his hands into the earth as soon as he made contact with the soil.

"Raiton: Jibashi (Lightning Style: Earth Flash)"

The ground filled with electricity. The attack ran through the clearing with a loud chirping sound, dismissing the clones in its way, moving toward the last group of blonds. Two clones grabbed Toroku's hand and threw him up in the air to avoid the attack before it could reach him, flying gracefully toward the still crouching Kakashi. When the jutsu hit them, they jerked but after a moment they disappeared with a puff of smoke. Toroku in the meanwhile ran through some hand seal in the midair, breathed a fair amount of air and spit out a massive amount of water toward Kakashi within a blink of an eye.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu! (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)"**  
**

The water hit him before he could release his own jutsu. When the water contacted him, the lightning chakra ran through his own system, forcing Kakashi's muscles to squeeze. Fortunately he was able to release the attack after a moment, but the feeling was enough to distract his senses and numb his muscles. Toroku landed gracefully in front of him with a loud splash in a puddle of remaining water. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and disappeared with a puff of smoke, leaving behind a frowning Toroku, to face with a log. He stiffened as he felt a hand around his ankles and his eyes meet with a probably grinning Lightning Clone.

"Shit…"

The clone exploded into millions of electric sparks which were now racing inside his nerves, forcing his muscles to clench painfully and his teeth and eyes to cling tightly. When the release finally died down, Toroku wobbled a step backward and grabbed his hair and ruffled it hysterically.

"I hate lightning releases you shrimp! I'm going to beat you into the ground for that, you got that!?"

The blond teen calmed himself down, moved to a relaxed stance and closed his eyes to sniff the air. A questioning grimace appeared on his face, then the two men stiffened and Rin flinched at the shore of the clearing when a massive amount of chakra reached them as Toroku spread out his chakra, to detect the silver haired jonin. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and opened his eyes slowly as he ran through a long chain of hand seals. When he finished, he closed his eyes again, waiting for a moment, then stomped the ground with his foot.

"Katon: Keshi Makuga Hara (Fire Release: Exploding Flame Crater)!"

A crack ran through in the soil of the training ground toward a certain point where it divided in two running in different directions, forming a perfect circle. Toroku snapped his hands together when the two lines connected and the earth inside the circle immediately disappeared with an explosion, filling the air with dust and the ground with soil. Toroku mumbled something and closed his eyes again, his right eye twitching continuously.

"If you want to play hide and seek Kakashi, you've chosen the wrong person," he stated when he finally opened his eyes.

The young man slowly crouched down and placed his right hand onto the ground, closing his eyes and sending a massive amount of chakra into the ground below him. The soil exploded like a volcano not far away from the crater caused by his previous attack and Kakashi burst out from the hole, followed by five blond clones. Kunai clenched and shuriken flew across the clearing as the silver haired jonin dismissed his attackers one by one, sending a quick glance at the still crouching blond while evading the clones. His eyes narrowed when he noted that Toroku's eyes were still closed and two clones appeared next to him, while the real one suddenly ran through a long chain of hand signs and place his hands down again. His eye never opened as the two clones placed their hands into his shoulders. Kakashi's eyes widened when the meaning of the hand signs reached his brain and the sharingan interpret the chakra flow from the three blonds, but he didn't have time to move.

"Gekijou no Gaia (Gaia's wrath)!"

The ground exploded around him, and the jonin found himself in the middle of a tornado. The wind swirling with insane speed, picking up leafs and small branches from the ground and mixing them in the whirlwind around him only to disappear into dust milliseconds after making connection with the razor sharp wind chakra. Kakashi felt as a static charge reached his side from the wind wall with a chirping noise, and the sweet scent of rain and wet soil hit his sensitive nose. He snapped his hand together, running through hand signs with insane speed, blurring his movements. But before he could finish, thunder echoed inside the clearing and a thunderbolt slammed into the ground, forcing him to halt the remaining hand signs and jump backward to avoid the insanely fast attack. Another lightning strike hit his other side at the moment his feet made connection with the ground, forcing him to evade once more only to reassert his motion again less than a millisecond later, leaving no time for him to counterattack or escape from the trap.

Jiraiya slowly tapped his chin and folded his arm together, watching the scene with narrowed eyes. He glanced toward Minato from the corner of his eyes, to see a similar expression on his face, which slowly turned into an amused look.

"Could you do that Jiraiya?" The sannin turned back to the scene and slowly shook his head.

"Mixing together three elements in one attack…that is just… insane… Manipulating the form, the element, mixing it together, while also separating them to utilize each one's strengths in one time…Wind to separate the victim, water as a conductor and lightning to strike…and that is a fourth element isn't it?" Minato only nodded fixing his eyes on the scene not leaving it even for a moment, examining every little detail of the attack. He saw the sheer concentration on the three faces, the control to manipulate the elements, the shapes, and to cut down the attack to a safer level. The almost Hokage narrowed his eyes when a scene popped into his mind of a possible outcome if the teen put a really massive amount of chakra into it.

"This attack could wipe out a smaller village at full power…" Minato nodded, not surprised by Jiraiya's same thoughts.

Kakashi braced himself and finally was able to finish the hand seals. The scarecrow narrowed his eyes and slammed his hands onto the ground, between two lightning strikes.

"Raiton: Jibashi_ (_Lightning Style: Earth Flash)!"

Electricity ran through the soil, this time in a zigzag line toward the blonds, not spreading wide as before, forcing him to jump out of the way and releasing his hands from the ground together with the jutsu, which disappeared with a last loud thunder. A massive air pressure ran through the clearing, sending dust, leafs and debris toward the shores. Minato ran through a chain of hand signs, and smashed his palms forward with a stoic face, while Toroku mimicked his last movement without hand signs in the clearing only milliseconds after Minato.

"Futon: Kuuki hanmaa (Wind Release, Air Hammer)."

An invisible wall of wind slammed into the approaching air pressure, countering the aftereffects of Toroku's suddenly dismissed technique, leaving the three people and Toroku untouched by the massive amount of disappearing elemental chakra. Toroku glanced toward the small group with a worrying look, but his head flung back when he sensed the surging Kakashi.

The jonin jumped toward him, with a kunai in his hand. Toroku narrowed his eyes at the panting boy, and a grimace spread across his face when the metallic scent of blood reached his nose while he reflected another attack with a graceful movement of his hand, like he was just sweeping down some dust from his clothes. A small stream of the ruby red liquid ran down from Kakashi's hairline, painting it a funny pink color next to his ear. The damage was minor, not more than a deep scratch but the razor sharp wind chakra reached a place on his head full with capillary. Toroku jumped backward to escape from the intense taijutsu, leaving a heavily breathing Kakashi behind.

Toroku suddenly stiffened when the three tomoes started whirling slowly in the crimson eyes. Suddenly the blood froze in his veins, then immediately heat up, boiling like lava and his body started to tremble with rage. The world around him disappeared, when the genjutsu encompassed his body.

He immediately forced his chakra flow to stop completely, and a moment later, he let the weirs down, pushing a massive amount of chakra into his coils, letting it run wildly through his body, rushing toward the caster on the clearing. The reality hit his head hard when he opened his eyes and faced with a helplessly flying Kakashi in midair, who in the end finally managed to turn and land not very gracefully, staring back at him with shocked, wide eyes. Toroku slowly straightened himself. His voice lacked any hint of the accustomed warm and cheeky tone.

"Never…Never ever use that thing on me again…" Kakashi only slowly nodded with a shocked expression.

Minato narrowed his eyes, observing Toroku carefully. The amount of chakra he released was even more than the time back at the hospital five weeks ago. The blond turned his head to the side glanced toward the also shocked Rin, then his blue orbs moved back, examining Toroku's every small movement. He wasn't angry, nor threatening, he was calm and imperious. His emotionless, almost foggy eyes locked for a moment with his own, then he turned and made an anxious look toward the trembling Rin. The sparkling suddenly reappeared in the blue pools and the teen slowly scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry Rin, it was a little bit too much…" The girl's mouth fell open and her eyes widened.

"Too much?...Too much?" She slowly shook her head and let out a sigh.

Rin braced herself and forced her body to relax and send a nervous smile toward the blond earning an embarrassed chuckle from him while he scratched his cheeks. He turned back to the now sitting Kakashi to send a cheeky smile toward the jonin.

"So, I think the re-match is also mine." The teen only waved a dismissive gesture toward the blond and dropped himself back on the grass.

"You are a monster…" Toroku shrugged and smirked toward the laying jonin. He slowly stepped closer and offered his hand to the teen, who grabbed it and straightened himself, sweeping the dust and soil from his clothes desperately. The blond folded his hands behind his neck and moved toward the group on the other side of the clearing with a wide smirk, followed by Kakashi, who still trying to make his appearance less pathetic with his torn and dirty clothes.

Rin stepped next to the jonin, examining his head with narrowed eyes then moved her hands next to his temporal to heal the small wound. The silver haired boy let out a sigh as the warm, tingling sensation numbed his brain and relaxed his weary muscles. Toroku turned toward them, his hands still at the back of his head, curiously eyeing the teen in front of him, who closed his eyes to enjoy the warm healing chakra.

"You tricked my nose…" Kakashi slowly opened one of his eyes and a satisfied smirk spread across his face under his mask, but the expression was still recognizable.

"I prepared this especially for you."

"It was a nice move to cover your skin with a thin layer of chakra …However not only my nose is sensitive you know. But still. I wasn't expecting this." Kakashi only shrugged when Rin removed her hands from his head, turning to the blond, looking for any wound, but he was untouched. Not even sweaty or weary like Kakashi. Toroku stretched his hands above his head and turned to Minato with a cheeky smile.

"So, now that I finished the warm up, we can move to a more serious matter." He was grinning wild and Minato raised an eyebrow.

"Or you are just scared…" The blond rolled his eyes in response.

"Or your joints are hurting? Old man Ho-ka-ge…" Minato's right eye twitched and a satisfied smile appeared on Toroku's face. _'Bulls eye…'_

"Oh, so that's it. Too old to fight." Jiraiya's face moved to a knowing smile when he saw Minato's right eye twitch again. _'Oh, now you've done it…'_

"So be it…" Minato walked calmly into the center of the clearing and Toroku yelled in victory, punching in the air and jogged toward the blond with a wide and satisfied grin on his face.

"You can't use your permanent seal!"

"As you wish. Can we start?" Toroku only nodded in response, and immediately moved to stance, while Minato still standing casually, his hands dived into the pouch of his pants. Toroku narrowed his eyes, his muscles tensed, ready to jump.

However he hasn't got a chance to even flinch when he felt a palm slamming into the middle of his back, sending him flying toward a tree, passing beside the stoic Minato. He was able to turn in midair and land on the tree, parallel to the ground. He narrowed his eyes and rolled his shoulders to ease away the pain between them in his spine, eyeing two calmly standing Minatos in the middle of the clearing with a stoic expression on their faces, hands in their pockets. Toroku slowly crossed his fingers in front of his chest and a cocky smile ran across his face.

"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)!"

The clearing suddenly filled with blond locks as hundreds of clones appeared around them, earning a loud snort from Jiraiya and an emotionless stoic look from the two blonds as they slowly turned their heads, mapping the surroundings calmly. The original Minato slowly tilted his head from side-to-side letting his joints to pop and a wide, satisfied, almost animalistic smirk appeared on his fine features, immediately erasing Torokus cocky grin. _'I have a bad feeling…'_

He couldn't even see when the two forms disappeared, his eyes and nerves couldn't transit the information fast enough, instead his head filled with the memories of consciously disappearing clones. Their confusion, the recalls of yellow flashes behind a disappearing clone flooding into his head without a pause as the copies popped out from existence one after another with insane speed, filling the field with massive chakra smoke and making his head spin and his mind dizzy and numb by the aggressive, continuous and confusing information flow.

Not even a minute later he found himself thrown down hard to the ground. The force knocked out the wind from his lungs while his body was pinned to the soil on his stomach by strong limbs. The clone of Minato forced his hands into a painful and awkward angle toward the blue sky, grasping his wrists while pushing his right leg painfully into his spine, forcing an unconscious and embarrassing whining sound out of his mouth as the remains of his breath left his lungs. The real Minato crouched and leaned close to his face with a still stoic expression.

"So, any complains Otouto?" He could feel when his blond locks brushed his cheeks and the warmth of his breath on his skin.

A painful gasp left his mouth as the clone forced his hands higher and he immediately shook his head. Minato nodded in satisfaction and smirked when he released his clone and the grasp on Toroku's wrists disappeared, causing his arm to fall down limply next to his lying body. The teen slowly rolled to his back, massaging his aching hand and frowning like a wild animal at Minato.

"You overdid it…"

"It was time to teach you some manners…"

"That was only because of your idiot permanent seal! You cheated!" Minato chucked and offered his hand to Toroku, who hissed when his weight pressed on his abused wrist.

"I wasn't using your existing mark." Toroku narrowed his eyes watching Minato carefully.

"I placed a temporary one when I hit you in the back." Toroku hummed and slowly started to walk back to the group, to face a knowingly smiling Jiraiya, a satisfied Kakashi and a worried Rin, who is now eyeing his red wrists.

"So, lesson learned gaki?" Toroku grimaced and pointed a finger toward Minato.

"Next time, I will kick your ass Aniki!" Jiraiya chuckled and turned to the teen.

"Every corner of this training ground was washed up with your blond locks in less than a minute, and you already ask for a re-match?" Toroku just hummed in response to Jiraiya and he slowly got rid of his chuunin vest, examining the ink black marking in the middle of its back with narrowed eyes.

"I just have to figure out how to get rid of his annoying Hiraishin…" Jiraiya snorted and rolled his eyes in response, while Minato chuckled.

"Good luck with that…"

"You know the title Hokage means the strongest shinobi of the village. It isn't just a fancy name," Kakashi stated calmly and moved his hitai-ate back over his sharingan.

"How is your wrists Toroku?" Rin slowly moved closer, eying his hands.

"Nah, it's okay, it will be as good as new in an hour. See? It doesn't even hurt anymore." He slowly hovered his joints and smiled back to Rin. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, knowing that Minato almost wrenched his wrists, but didn't make a comment. _'His healing abilities are really insane,'_ thought the white haired sannin.

"I think we are finished for today." Minato stretched his arms behind his back. "But before we leave I would like you to know why Jiraiya was even here to watch your little performance."

"Because he will be the new sensei of the team…" Toroku stated while turning to the sannin with a knowing look.

"Indeed. You will be in good hands, so don't be afraid." Toroku let out a snort and waved a hand toward Minato. He felt as his face moved to a sour grimace and turned away from the sad smile of Minato.

"Toroku…"

"I know…and I understand, so don't say a word." He let out a sigh and turned back with an obviously false grin on his face.

"I'm starving. Can we pick up something to eat?"

* * *

The new team dismissed from a barbecue house, leaving only Jiraiya, Minato and Toroku left with his full stomach. The teen leaned back, contentedly stroking his full and obviously bigger stomach with closed eyes. Minato chuckled at the scene while Jiraiya eyed him with an annoyed look.

"Boy, I really don't want to be the one who pays for your food." Toroku opened one of his eyes and stretched his feet and arms, forming an x with his body.

"Maybe I had starved a lot in my previous life." The teen only shrugged and leaned back again with closed eyes.

"You told me, that you regained a lot from your basic knowledge. However, you didn't show too much new." Minato asked and grabbed his bottle, then leaned also back to find a more comfortable position.

"That is true," Toroku only stated calmly without opening his eyes, but as he felt the eyes on himself, he opened them and leaned on his folded arms on the table in front of him.

"Most of my arsenal is quite…hmmm…radical. I couldn't use them on Kakashi." He folded his arms on the table to rest his chin on them, facing two pairs of raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean by radical?" Toroku let out a proud smile toward Jiraiya.

"I mean quite destructive." He frowned to himself "I will need to learn more lower level techniques, or sooner or later Kakashi will kick my ass if he find out how to deflect all of them…."

"Have you tried Doton?" Toroku nodded.

"Yeah, but I couldn't make any of them work properly." Minato narrowed his eyes._ 'So four. Still, it is incredible.'_

"I tried them yesterday with the Gekijou no Gaia (Gaia's wrath)." Minato frowned. He didn't received reports that Toroku was training yesterday.

"Toroku…Where did you train yesterday?

"Home…Every training ground was full again." Minato's eyes widened to an unnatural size, almost popping out.

"You tried out that jutsu in you apartment?! How on earth? Are you insane? You could blow up the entire house!" Toroku just waved a hand and a clone appeared next to him, to hand over a scroll from Toroku's own pocket, to disappear with an annoyed look on his face.

"You could beat a Nara in laziness…" Jiraiya murmured and Toroku only shrugged.

"I can't move, I'm too full."

Minato slowly opened the scroll and fixed his gaze on it, together with Jiraiya for long silent minutes. A barrier seal, perfectly designed, powerful enough to resist an S class technique and to mask its energy. _'No…'_ Minato frowned. It doesn't just simply dismiss or mask the attack's chakra, it uses it to maintain and strengthen itself, moreover it adapts to the level of the attack to equal its force, perfectly isolating every bit of chakra and sound within the barrier. He glanced at Jiraiya next to him and chuckled as he saw the wide eyes and the hanging mouth of his old sensei.

"I told you that he is better with barriers then me…or you." Toroku grinned at Minato and scratched his arm.

"I'm satisfied with the design, however it is quite a chakra eating bitch in this form during the first activation. I have to fix that later." The blond teen stated calmly eying the shocked Jiraiya with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Hey old man." Jiraiya immediately looked back at Toroku with narrowed eyes when he heard the address.

"You will slobber my seal…" The sannin snorted and leaned back.

"Impertinent shrimp." Toroku only grinned and turned toward the other blond.

"Minato. When can we finally go out for a mission?"

"Come to the Hokage tower tomorrow." The blond smiled back at him knowingly, while Jiraiya frowned at the statement. A satisfied smile ran across Toroku's face and he finally forced his body to get up from the table.

"Great. Then tomorrow." He turned and approached toward the door.

"And Toroku…" The teen turned back to meet a pair of familiar azure blue eyes.

"If you ever try out any jutsu inside any building…or if you even think about it…I will finish what I leave off today at the training ground. Understand?" The Hokage's voice was calm, but his eyes send a cold chill down his spines, forcing him to gulp and nodded with a scared face before leaving. Jiraiya kneeled to the table and turned toward his new leader.

"What mission?"

"An escort…I need someone who will guard the delegation to Suna." A half smile formed on Jiraiya's face.

"Suna? What a coincidence…" Minato smiled back at his old sensei knowingly.

"Maybe something will turn up from his past."

* * *

Four figures lined up in front of the desk facing Minato, a chunnin and Sarutobi the next morning. Minato smiled at Jiraiya while he handed over the mission scroll, the detailes of which had been discussed the previous night after Toroku left.

"The envoy will wait you at the village gates, exactly at ten o'clock. Don't be late. Kakashi, this mostly considering you." The jonin only rolled his eyes, but he restrained himself from a harsh reply.

"Toroku…you go there in incognito."

"Why?" The teen intensively frown at the statement.

"I got my reasons…You will be an ANBU during the mission." The blond only let out an annoyed grunt, and nodded, then a second later a cheeky smile ran across his face, forcing Minato's eye to twitch.

"Prohibited…"

"I didn't do anything!"

"But you thought about it. No more ANBU teasing."

Toroku frowned and a wordless fight started between the two blonds. His staring contest finally finished after half a minute and Toroku let out a disappointed sigh and nodded, murmuring about Hokage's go beyond their power and folded his arms in front of his chest, turning slightly away from Minato. The chuunin raised an eyebrow and Sarutobi let out a small chuckle, while Jiraiya cleared his throat and nodded toward the desk before he dismissed his new team to prepare for their trip.

* * *

The team gathered exactly at the announced time, surprisingly Kakashi also appeared on time, to meet the envoy they would escort to Sunagakure. A tall man, his body and head wrapped around with a white robe and a white half face mask just like Kakashi's, leaving only his brown eyes open to the soft breeze. The man didn't say a word, only nodded when they arrived and he remained silent since then. Unfortunately the man was a civilian which would slow down their movement by ages. The trip would be long, it would take at least one week to Suna, through the hot and empty dessert for half of the time, then the same back. Plus the time they will spend in the city while the envoy does his job. The thoughts race through Toroku's mind in a minute, eyeing their mysterious companion. He slowly raised his hands to scratch his forehead, but he stopped his movement when his hands meet cold porcelain instead of his warm skin. He groaned in frustration and moved his hands to detached his mask, but his move was stopped when Jiraiya grasp his hands.

"No touching and you aren't allowed to remove it, not even when you are sleeping. From now on your name goes by your mask."

A pair of angry blue eyes snapped to his face, narrowing to thin lines, but in the end only a displeased groan was his answer from the teen in complete ANBU outfit, without the white surcoat. The teen folded his arms in front of his white vest and turned away from the sannin without further words, who just slowly shook his head.

"Okay team. We are departing."

The three teens nodded and moved toward their companion, positioning them around the envoy. The small group finally stepped over the giant gates of Konoha and disappeared in the woods of the Land of Fire.

* * *

Jiraiya eyed Toroku continuously from the background, and a small smile ran across his face when he felt a small amount of chakra, slowly moving toward Kakashi's face under the mask. The silver haired jonin narrowed his eyes and started to scratch his face under the thin textile continuously. The blonde was obviously trying to force that mask down. An annoyed snort left Kakashi and he gave an angry look toward the teen, and covered his face with a thin layer of his own chakra, to separate his skin and dismissing Toroku's own.

"You are childish…"

"No, just curious…" Toroku looked back over his shoulders toward Rin.

"Hey, have you seen his face?" The girl only shrugged with a cheeky smile, which could mean anything and the blond narrowed his eyes with an irritated 'ch'.

He finally turned back and look to his left where he heard a faint, but fast heartbeat as they passed beside a tree. He smiled when his nose picked up the scent of a skulking fox under the bushes. He gently stroke the mask on his face, feeling the fine curves of a longish animal nose and the three freshly painted red curves on each side on its white surface. When he first saw the fox mask in Jiraiya's hands, and he handed over his new clothes, a real animalistic foxy grin appeared on his face, and he couldn't help on his outburst as something forced him out from the back of his mind and made him laugh until his side started to sting like hell. Before he put on the completely white mask, he felt a force and he finally picked up one of his brushes and a red ink, to finish the blank mask. He didn't know why he panted the same marks on the two sides of it, but when he examined it in the end a strange satisfaction ran across his mind. He slowly stroked the painted whiskers once again and rolled his shoulders with a sigh._ 'I'm bored to death…'_

A cloned popped up next to him and raised an eyebrow at Toroku.

"Are you serious about it?"

"It's worth a try." The blond shrugged, while everyone in the team eyeing him curiously as the clone put his hand above Toroku's extended left palm. The two blonds closed their eyes in their concentration and a small amount of slowly circulating wind appeared between their palms. The wind started to speed up and the small tornado flatten , until it was almost invisible from the side, while it formed a perfect circle from above, however not much bigger than a middle sized shuriken. The clone started to frown, and squeezed his eyelids in concentration.

Kakashi moved his hands up, to uncover his sharingan, examining the progress with the slowly swirling tomoes in his crimson red orb. He saw as the chakra slowly moving from Toroku's left arm, stop for a moment in his wrists, then slowly move inside his palm and sucked out by the small technique from the coils in his palm. The clone let out a small moan, as he mimicked the same process by his own body, adding his own chakra to the small technique. It reached the whirling chakra plate, mixing fire, slowly, step by step into wind, causing it, to glow with an unnatural orange light, just like iron in the oven before a smith started to form a sword. The movement of the wind increased once more, and Toroku narrowed his eyes.

"That's enough, just hold it in that amount." The clone squeezed his teeth and a painful hiss left Toroku's mouth, when the spinning plate wobbled a bit between their palms.

"What are you doing?" Jiraiya asked with a calm tone.

"I'm too occupied to chit-chat…" Toroku hissed between his teeth, and with a light moan they released the technique, which slowly disappeared in the air, leaving behind a faint ozone scent in the air. The clone shook his head, while Toroku examined his red palm, and the blistering that was forming on it.

"We need to work more on this little thing; it needs more precise dosage then the big ones." Toroku narrowed his eyes, and made an approving nod. He let out a sigh and the clone disappeared with a puff of smoke, while he slowly dropped behind to reach Rin with an apologetic smile, who rolled her eyes.

"You should be more careful you know. I'm not always beside you…" She gently placed her hands above his red palm and channeled green chakra into his wound, giving a pleasant cold sensation to his burning skin.

"Could you teach me please Rin-chan?" Kakashi snorted and Jiraiya started to laugh loudly, earning an angry glance from Toroku.

"I don't think that I am the best one to teach you. You are stronger than me."

"Maybe, but my chakra control sucks, and I need a fine tuning to the smaller techniques. And this is something only you could help with. Medical jutsus is the same. Without fine tuning you just smash up everything and I want to be lectured by the possible best." Toroku smiled behind his mask as warmly as he could, eying the blushing girl beside him.

"Please…" Rin smiled and nodded and she felt as pride swarmed up in her spine. Jiraiya smiled gently at the scene.

"Why do you want to even learn smaller techniques? There are a lot of powerful stuff in your arsenal…" Kakashi snorted and crossed his arms behind his neck.

"Power sometimes lay in small forms Kakashi-kun," Jiraiya stated casually and tapped the jonin's head, who answered with a frustrated groan and ran his hand through his silver hair. The blond nodded approvingly.

"That is true that I can be very…deconstructive, but …I need techniques which don't threaten the lives around me, and that is what I lack." Toroku slowly shook his head and let out a weary sigh and turned once more to Rin.

"Soo, will you help me Rin-chan?"

"Of course. Let's see. So fine tuning…" She got lost in her thoughts for a minute and turned toward Toroku.

"You don't have problems with manipulating the nature and the form, and this indicates that the main problem isn't with your direct control, it lays in the amount. Let's see. Which is the less chakra needed technique you can't do properly?"

"Bunshin…" Toroku spit out the word like it was sour poison. He slowly moved his hands together and performed the necessary seals, and a shapeless form appeared beside him only for it to fail the next moment and fall to the ground limply. The blond let out an irritated sigh and the caricature of a human disappeared.

"See? It was totally messed up. It couldn't even stand." Kakashi frowned at the scene and turned his head curiously to Toroku and Rin.

"So, sensei. Where should we start?" Rin blushed again and sent a small smile to the boy.

"As a first step, you should work on that technique." Toroku nodded and moved back to his place. He closed his eyes and around one hundred Toroku appeared behind the small group, walking with them, without a break in their movements. Kakashi raised an eyebrow when he curiously turned around to see the results, but he immediately frowned.

"What are the Kage bunshins for?"

"Just watch." Toroku made a cheeky smile under his mask and Kakashi turned back to the clones to see that they were forming the necessary hand seals. A hundred useless normal bunshins appeared and the small marching army behind them, frowning immediately. Toroku turned toward them and shouted.

"Make four groups, dismiss every fifteen minute!" An arcane of 'Yes boss!' echoed back to the small team and Jiraiya looked at the teen with an amused expression.

"I see now your point." Kakashi glared at Jiraiya with a confused look, and Toroku glared back at the sannin then only shrugged and also started to work on the technique himself. Near the end of the first fifteenth minute one of the clones near the group let out a victorious yelp when a man like clone appeared next to him, wobbling on thin legs. Toroku nodded to the clone, who disappeared in an instant, and the clones made a wondering expression immediately.

"Five minutes delay, until the first group disappears!" The clones nodded and continued. Surprisingly this time almost every new bunshin was able to at least stand.

"I don't get it."

"When a shadow clone dismisses, I gain back every memory. They were originally used for scouting. And with the memories I also gain what they learned. With this, I can compress years of training into weeks. But it also has got its own risks." Toroku explained to Rin carefully, earning a narrowed eye from Kakashi.

"What risks?"

"Not only the memories, but also the exhaustion comes back." The teen only shrugged at Rins worried and narrowed eyes, but the now not so small group walked toward their destination without a word.

After the last group of clones dismissed themselves, Toroku was able to make a normal looking bunshin if you didn't count the faceless head and his soft orange shaded clothes. It could make almost five steps before it wobbled and fell flat on the ground and dismissed itself. Toroku let out a weary sigh and shook his head slowly in his disappointment.

"This is harder than I ever gave it credit for…" Jiraiya moved next to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Don't push yourself more today, or you will also fall flat." Toroku nodded in understanding and stretched his arms behind his head.

"I know, but this annoys me to hell. Man. That is an academy level jutsu."

"No marvel around that. You got too much chakra for fine tuning. Just give up and do what you are good at." Toroku narrowed his eyes as sheer determination appeared in his visible blue orbs. _'As stubborn as Minato. I just had to push the right button in his brain.'_ Jiraiya smiled and slowly turned toward the others.

"We will make camp in an hour, the Sun has almost set. There will be a nice place for that after this hill." The team nodded. Their stoic and speechless companion in the middle of their group also let out a relieved sigh after the long trip.

* * *

Two hours later the camp was ready and a campfire popped cheerfully in the middle, surrounded with sleeping bags. However, only four were occupied as Toroku sat above them on a thick branch, in a nearby tree. He felt a familiar chakra signature approaching the tree and the silver haired jonin sat down next to him without a word a second later.

"You should be sleeping…"

"Toroku-san." The blond raised an eyebrow under his mask at the honorific, waiting for the question he already knew would come after he told the trick of the Kage Bunshin.

"Could you…" Kakashi stopped, looking for the words, but Toroku finished his sentence.

"Teach you the Kage bunshin technique?" Kakashi only nodded. Toroku let out a weary sigh and ran his hands through his blond spiky locks.

"I could, but it won't be too affective to you. You don't have enough chakra to properly use it for training, however it would still be useful for scouting." Kakashi only nodded; he was already aware of that. If he learned it, he wouldn't be able to make more than a maximum of four or five clones.

"But, you can't use your sharingan this time. You will learn it the hard way."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow with confusion, but nodded. Kakashi had already figured out by his previous reactions, and he also caught more than one reference from Minato, that Toroku's sudden appearance was most likely connected with a sharingan user. Toroku rolled his shoulders and pointed toward a small clearing about twenty meters from them. Five clones appeared on the tree, standing in various directions, parallel to the ground and upside down below him. They spread around their sleeping companions while the two teens straightened themselves and Toroku waved toward Jiraija who just raised a hand in approval.

* * *

When they returned after an hour, Kakashi was obviously weary, almost falling into his sleeping bag, and more than one scratch could be seen on his skin. But in the end, he managed to make a proper clone. Toroku slowly shook his head and dismissed the clones, then he moved back to his previous place on the branch. He leaned against the rough shuck of the tree and turned his head toward the ink black sky. He always liked to watch the stars and the moon since it always calmed down his nerves and relaxed his mind. He let out a sigh as another presence sat next to him.

"What now? You also want to learn something from me?" Jiraiya snorted and waved his hands.

"No." Toroku nodded, but didn't avert his eyes from the soft glaze of the stars high in the sky. The sannin didn't make a noise for a long moment.

"How are you doing with your bunshins?"

"Not too good, but I don't think this is why you came up here."

"Why did you teach a kinjutsu technique to Kakashi?" Toroku shrugged.

"Because I want them to become strong. Maybe he can't use it for training but it could save his life one day…or Rin's. And I have confidence in him. He is already strong and some day he will became a powerful and elite shinobi. He is working very hard even if he didn't show it to the others; he always only displayed his stoic face. I knew something had been bothering him since the time he found out we were going to Suna."

"How much do you know about Kakashi's background?" Toroku slowly shook his head.

"Not too much. He almost never talks about himself, I know schematically what had happened in Iwa, and that he is an orphan, but that is all." He glanced down to Kakashi, listening to his light breathing next to the waving fire.

"His father was the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo. A powerful, feared, and respected shinobi. His strength was on the same level as me, one of the three sannins. He was assigned to a mission…and he made a hard decision." The blond raised an eyebrow under his mask and moved his hands to his lap.

"He had chosen the life of his comrades instead of the success of a very important mission which failure caused a lot of trouble for Fire country. After he abandoned that mission to save his comrades lifes, he was blamed for the effects, even by his own companions whose lives were saved by him. The ninja turned away from him, disgraced him, spit at him…He broke by the pressure and he committed suicide…" Toroku felt as his mouth fell open without a sound.

"After that, Kakashi worshipped the rules and regulations of the shinobi world, he became emotionless and worked only to wash down the shame of the Hatake name. That mission was in Suna…" Jiraiya scratched his arm and yawned.

"However…something changed him in after their team mates died. But I don't know what had happened there, Minato doesn't want to talk about that."

"I know what caused that…At least I think I know." Toroku let out a sigh.

"When we returned from Kumo, he told me something when I…when I was down. I don't know the details, but it seems the Uchiha kid made a great impression on him, if he was able to make a one hundred and eighty degree turn." Jiraiya nodded and locked his eyes on the blond.

"What do you think about your own situation?"

Toroku blinked at the unexpected and sudden question and turned his head toward the sage, grasping his mask with a hand, waiting for his companion's reaction. Jiraiya only nodded his approval to remove the mask and he gratefully pushed it up to his crown to rub his weary eyes. He got a ration bar from one of his pockets and started to chew it absently. He wasn't hungry, but he need time to gather his own thoughts. The sannin curiously, but not suspiciously, eyed his blue orbs, patiently waiting for his reply. The teen finally put down the remains of his food into his lap and leaned forward, away from the rough tree, but didn't make connection with Jiraiya's eyes.

"I know you are here to stop me, if…I go rogue…And this mean you are strong…Maybe I sometimes play the idiot but I'm not stupid. I know…I know that maybe I'm an assassin or a spy, or hell knows what… I was…" He let out a weary sigh and finally moved his almost glowing cerulean eyes toward Jiraiya.

"But I also hope and think if I am really one, if I regain my memories I won't lost my current self." Toroku slowly shook his head and let out a long sigh and he glanced down to the sleeping forms of his comrades.

"I don't want to hurt Minato, Kushina, the brats down there or anyone else. I just want to protect those who are precious to me…" He let a small smile run across his face and he turned back at Jiraiya.

"And you? What are you thinking of my situation?" Jiraiya chuckled and waved a hand.

"I got my own assumption about you, brat." Toroku rolled his eyes, patiently waiting for Jiraiya to open his mouth.

"I read the reports about you…"

"And? Anything interesting?" Jiraiya rolled his eyes before he answered.

"It told me that you got some…flashbacks." The teen only shrugged.

"Not always, sometimes if I saw something or hear something, and they aren't real pictures. Not memories. A feeling. Like a déjà vu, or something like that. When you know something already happened to you, feel familiar, or sometimes I feel emotions."

"Nagato…" Jiraiya stated calmly his eyes shined with curiosity, while the teen's face mirrored confusion as he glanced back to the sannin, then his eye twitched as a feeling slowly started to rise in his mind, only to be swept out in the next blink.

"Anything about that?" Toroku narrowed his eyes, and gave a wondering face.

"Something popped up, but it was gone…respect? Dunno. It was there a moment ago, but now it is gone without a trace within a blink and I'm not sure what was it."

"Who is this Nagato?" The teen scratched the back of his head and frowned in frustration and waited for any further explanations , but when nothing came he let out another sigh, slowly turning toward the white haired man with a serious look.

"Jiraiya…"

"What brat?"

"Can I ask you a favor?" The sannin raised an eyebrow, but he nodded.

"Promise me…If…If things go wrong and I lost myself…please don't let me harm anybody." The sannin stayed in complete silence, watching the teen seriously, waiting for his determination to fall down, but it didn't come. His azure eyes stayed calm and solemn.

"I will be quick and merciful Gaki. I promise."

"How generous of you." Toroku chuckled dry and sent a soft smile to Jiraiya, but he stayed serious. For minutes none of them talked, they just sat beside each other, listening to the voices of nature around them.

"Hey old man, go back to rest. I won't drag you along the way to Suna if you drop with fatigue."

Jiraiya snorted and tried to slap his palm to the back of Toroku's head, but he leaned away from it, and chuckled softly at the playful attempt. He felt a sudden Déjà vu run across his mind and a soft smile spread across his face when he looked again at the sannin.

"You are really an interesting young man Toroku-kun…and a very troublesome cocky little brat." Toroku only chuckled, but Jiraiya finally dropped himself down to the ground and moved to occupy his sleeping bag and this time, fall into deep sleep.

"I will relieve you in four hours shrimp." The teen only nodded and turned his head again toward the sky, to spot the glowing Vesper again.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Creating bonds…gaining trusts…Sorry for the teasing, but it is necessary. You will soon understand why.

I would like to ask a great applause for my new Beta reader. She done a fantastic work to bear my wonky language knowledge and pinpoint some mistakes. So big applause for **ImaginationJunkie1412**. Hopefully in the future we could set back to a more scheduled and oftener update just like in the beginning.

**Story recommendations:**

**When Leaves Fall** by **Prosthetic Forehead** – Everybody loves time travel stories this is why you are here. One of my newest favorite fic with Naruto travelling back in time when Minato was still alive.

**Steal My Thunder God **by** Nauro** – One more new time travel fic, where Naruto travelled back to the night of the Kyuubi attack.

**The Hokage Great and Terrible **by** lord of the land of fire **-What if someone other than Namikaze Minato had been chosen to be the Yondaime? Things might have worked out very, very differently. AU, a bit dark and a bit tragic. A little Naru X Hina – One of my favorite AU story. It's really dark, but beautifully written.

Enjoy and give as much support to the authors as I had received from you.

Reviews are welcome :)


	10. Chapter 10 - Inside a Sandcastle

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

**Original upload date: 08/03/2013**

**Last update: NA**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 10. – Inside a sandcastle**

* * *

The Sun was high above the horizon, sending hot beams toward the already weary team. Toroku turned around resting his eyes on the landscape. Sand was everywhere he looked. The incessant wind carved extreme forms into the soft silky sand, building dunes and enormous mountains from the infinite supply of material. The variation of small waves and high dunes never left the horizon. Only one or two abstract cliffs raised above the golden sea, interrupting the soft curves on the horizon. Toroku turned his head to the other side, now very grateful for his mask as he saw his teammates walking against the wind with squinted eyes. He started to miss the green color of nature. They were marching for two days in the golden dust, but aside from a few thousand years old trees and some cacti here and there he couldn't spot any vegetation.

He finally spotted something in the distance. Something which was definitely not sand and definitely not the craft of nature. It was somehow too straight, too regular, but still not industrial. He narrowed his eyes and stopped walking, eying the thin and straight line on the horizon. Jiraiya turned toward the blond and nodded.

"Those are the walls which surrounds Sunagakure no Sato. We are almost there. It's about time, one more night in this dessert and I'll go berserk."

A shiver ran through the white haired sannin and Toroku smiled back at him in understanding. However, he really like the nights out in the desert. As the soft sand encompassed his body from the outside, the warm inside the sleeping bag, while the outside world became cold. Somehow, for him, these extreme differences felt familiar, nice. And when he glanced up to the night sky, nothing bothered his sight during his star watch. Toroku let out a weary sigh and closed his exhausted eyes. He hadn't really slept since they stepped into the desert, and when he finally fell asleep he was wondering again in that sewer. He leaned down and slowly stroked his hands through the silky sand, enjoying as the small grains flow out from his palm, pulled by the gravity or picked up by the always blowing wind when he lifted his hands.

"I know this place…" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and turned back to Toroku.

"Memories?" The teen only shook his head and he leaned down again, gently stroking the sand, like a children playing in the sandbox. A warm smile ran across his face and he closed his eyes, enjoying once more the feeling as the sand ran across his gentle fingers. He finally let out a sigh and straightened himself to turn to his curious companion. Jiraiya in the end only nodded and waved to Toroku to catch up with the others. He slowly turned around again to glance one last time at the endless dunes, than jogged toward the small group.

They reached the walls of Suna after two hours, and Toroku's feelings that he is in a familiar place increased continuously with each step as they closed the distance between them and the walls. There were no doors, but several guards glanced at them with a suspicious look, especially giving high heed to Jiraiya and Toroku. When they almost reached the entrance, a jonin jumped down in front of them, holding up a hand. The small team stayed calm, but still ready to jump if necessary. Jiraiya stepped ahead to the jonin, and handed a small scroll to the shinobi.

"We are escorting a political envoy from Konoha. You can find every detail in the scroll, so if you will let us pass through the gates…We have an appointment with your Kazekage."

The jonin narrowed his eyes, as he slowly opened the scroll, readying it carefully at least two times, to finally nod toward four men who appeared next to the jonin in a blink. He slowly wrapped up the scroll again and handed it to one of the men.

"Escort them to the Kazekage." The jonin turned to Jiraiya and narrowed his eyes again at the white haired man, who let out a frustrated groan.

"Don't cause any trouble. Maybe you are powerful Jiraiya-sama, but the advantage of home is on our side." Jiraiya only rolled his eyes in annoyance and waved a hand toward their small group.

They got through the narrow passage and when they finally reach the end, Toroku stopped his movement and one of the Suna jonin almost bumped into his back, only his fast reflexes saved him from that humiliating situation. The blond narrowed his eyes as he rotated his head from left to right, unable to place the scene. The round forms of the brown and golden houses, which looked like they were made from clay, the narrow streets and the abstract forms warmed up his heart and he felt his mouth curved up into a soft smile. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes again, eyeing every movement of the blond. _'Maybe Minato was right and he's really from Suna. By his reaction it is more than possible and Ame is only a dead-end.'_ One of the Suna shinobi cleared his throat and Jiraiya stopped his wondering thoughts.

"Kitsune-san." No reaction.

"Kitsune-san."

"Kakashi, could you please?" A painful and surprised yelp left Toroku's mouth under the mask as he jumped to the side, almost bumped into the same jonin and glanced down to his side where the small amount of pain came to see the still softly sparkling finger of Kakashi.

"Why did you do that?!"

"It was an order." The silver haired jonin shrugged and nodded toward Jiraiya.

"I don't care. I told you I hate that that shit. Geez." As if to punctuate his words, he snapped the jonin hard at the top of his head at his last word, who gave an angry look in response while Rin let out a small chuckle. Jiraiya started to massage his throbbing forehead as the two teens started arguing and shouting each other completely unaware of the amused, irritated, and sniggering Suna shinobi. Jiraiya felt as a vein started to pulse with every heartbeat and he glanced toward the two boys who were only centimeters from a real fight. Jiraiya moved closer and slapped his hand to the top of the boys heads, freezing them in their argument.

"Calmed down enough?" Toroku glanced at the sannin with burning blue eyes who just turned around and let out a weary sigh. When he reached their voiceless companion in white robes the man just shook his head slowly, watching the two boy as they walked side by side like nothing had happened a minute before.

The small delegation continued their trip toward the heart of the village, earning more and more glances from the villagers and the nearby shinobi, who suspiciously glanced toward their hitai-ate. They passed through several large and small passages, when Toroku slowed down his steps to stop at a passageway into a narrow alley. Toroku narrowed his eyes and turned toward one of the Suna jonins.

"Isn't there a ramen stand at the other side of this alley?" The young shinobi gave a confused look and shook his head.

"No Kitsune-san. Actually there isn't any ramen stand in Sunagakure." The boy frowned under his mask, but only shrugged and passed the carefully watching Jiraiya.

After a ten minute walk they were finally facing the main building of the Village. The sight of the Kazegake's office warmed up Toroku's heart again as he examined the round building with a lot of small windows on its side. He stepped out from the group and took the lead without any doubts of where he was going. He confidently passed by the great wooden door, earning suspicious and narrow glances from the guards at the two wings. He turned to the left, toward a winding staircase, and stepped onto the first stair, but his confident suddenly left him. He blinked and turned around to meet with Jiraiya's raised eyebrow and two frowning Suna Jonins on each side of the stairs.

"I think it would be better if someone else takes the lead." Toroku scratched his neck and let through a groaning shinobi, who led them to the top floor of the building and raised a hand in front of a large, carved wooden door.

"Stay here until you gain admission."

Jiraiya nodded and move backward together with his small team around their escorted company in white robes. The jonin didn't leave the room for a while as long minutes slowly increased to half an hour. _'The Kazekage is playing with us…'_ Toroku groaned and sight continuously after the first ten minutes, playing with his clothes, trying everything to while away some time. Then he finally pulled out a small scroll, examining its content and earning suspicious and narrow eyes from their Suna escorts.

"Don't do that here brat."

"Why? I'm bored." Jiraiya rolled his eyes and snapped his hand around the scroll, removing it from Toroku's hands, who let out an indignant snarl and folded his hands in front of his chest. Finally the double doors parted and the jonin stepped out to the hallway.

"Admission granted. Follow me."

The group slowly entered to the spacious office by the lead of Jiraiya, and the envoy lining up in the background. Toroku slowly turned his head, to examine his surroundings in the office. The office was plain, beside a big desk and some chairs it was with no frills. He spotted their invisible guards inside the room skulking in the walls, in the shadows of a corner, outside the windows. The amount of bodyguards was annoying, so were their tensed muscles and nervous heartbeats. He shook off his annoyance, letting a soft smile cross his mouth when a familiar warm feeling increased inside him as his azure orbs meet someone's back in front of the giant windows. He carefully eyed the man as he slowly grabbed his familiar triangular shaped white and blue hat and gradually removed it and turned around to face his visitors from the Land of Fire. Disappointment ran through Toroku's body when he spotted the short and spiky auburn hair and the stern expression of the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure. He was waiting for someone else. A shiver ran through his spine when his eyes met with the Kage's narrowed ones.

"Is this supposed to be a demonstration of the Fire's power? The Hokage of Konoha is either very brave or very foolish to send one of the sannin to start a peace talk." Toroku felt his eyes twitch at the statement, but calmed himself.

"No, actually my presence here isn't connected with your politics nor concerned with Suna Kazekage-sama." The Kage narrowed his eyes as he saw the masked man turn his head toward the sannin and shifted nervously, then seconds later avert his gaze in…shame?

"I will give audition to the envoy tomorrow morning. Until that time you will enjoy our hospitality near the city center. You are allowed to move in the village with surveillance. My jonin will escort you there. " The Kazekage nodded toward a shinobi, who bowed and escorted the team from the office after they politely bowed to him. The leader followed them with stern and narrowed eyes as they were leaving his office. Slowly, he turned around and walked back to the window, fixing his gaze down to the square where the Konoha shinobi appeared after a short minute.

"Keep an eye on them. Especially Jiraiya and the boy with the fox mask." A shadow disappeared next to the window and leapt toward the nearest rooftop, then disappeared in the shadows.

* * *

Their room was also furnished austerely, and Toroku couldn't help when his thoughts wondered back to his first room back at Konoha in the heart of the Interrogation and Torture department. The continuous presence of guards and eyes on his back was also annoying. He let out a weary sigh and leaned flat on the hard bed. They were accommodated to the same room, without any private space. He could easily touch Kakashi on the next bed if he extended his arms. Not that sleeping below the sky was more comfortable but they at least had space. He let out another weary sigh and turned toward the sannin.

"Jiraiya. The Kage said that we are allowed to go out yes?" The white haired man nodded.

"You will get enough time to stroll in the village tomorrow."

"Please! I'm going crazy. I'll be good." The sannin turned toward the already snoring Kakashi, then Rin, who sent a soft smile and nodded.

"I'll take care of him."

"Okay, but not for too long. And don't cause any trouble!" Toroku sent a smirk toward Jiraiya and nodded. He straightened himself and grabbed Rin's wrist, almost dragging her toward the door. He slowly opened it and stuck out his head, and faced the guard in front their room.

"Jonin-san, we will need an escort to the village." The shinobi nodded, snapped his hands, and two men appeared beside him. Toroku opened the door, but before they could leave the room, he heard Jiraiya's shouting.

"If you do anything idiotic I'm going to tell the Sissy!" Toroku gulped and nodded, earning suspicious glances from the jonins. When they finally left the room, Kakashi opened his eyes.

"Why did you say that around the Suna jonins?"

"To keep some extra eyes on him." Kakashi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms behind his neck to enjoy his nap again.

* * *

Suna wasn't a place for sightseeing that was obvious from the first minute they stepped through the narrow alley which separated the village set inside a wide valley from the desert and the continuously blowing wind. Walking on the almost empty streets however felt very pleasant for Toroku. Signs of the low economy could be seen everywhere on the streets. While Konoha's streets were full with shops, street cries, even parks, the roads' of Suna were as bleak as their rooms. Most of the streets were filled with cobble, missing big chunks here and there. They passed some closed shops, their windows covered with planks nailed into the frame. Despite the difference in the welfare, Suna was the same as Konoha; Shinobi crossing the street with genin teams, civilians walking toward their own destinations and children ran across the streets playing and shouting at each other.

They finally spotted a small but nice restaurant and Toroku almost hopped inside as his stomach gave him away, earning rolled eyes from Rin. When he finally finished the meal, which could have easily been enough to fill three people, he let out a satisfied groan. The small girl chuckled and handed a napkin to Toroku, who raised an eyebrow behind his mask.

"Your mask if full of sauce you know."

"You should try eating with this thing on your face. I don't even know why he wanted me to wear this," he muttered while cleaning his mask from the sticky liquid as much as he could.

"I'm sure he has got a good reason for that. He never does anything without a purpose." Rin shrugged and stretched, arching her back.

"Rin-chan. Do you think 'causing trouble' means some training with bunshin?" Rin gave a wondering face before she answered.

"I don't think so, if we found a proper place for that, but no Kage Bunshins I think. It won't be too good for us if suddenly a hundred foreign ninja popped up in Suna."

Toroku nodded and grabbed the last two pieces of the grilled fish off his plate for later use than straightened himself and gave a hand to Rin, who chuckled and bowed at the gallant gesture. They stepped out together and almost bump into a woman with two small children. One of the boys eyed him curiously and the others green eyes fixed on the fishes stacked in his hands. The child slowly pulled on the woman's clothes and pointed toward the food in Toroku's hand.

"Can I also get one of those?" The woman slowly shook her head and a sad smile ran across her face.

"I'm sorry, maybe next week."

Toroku watched the scene as they stepped back to give the family space to pass by. Without a second thought, he slowly stepped closer and crouched in front of the children and held one piece of fish to each child. They eyed him curiously when one of them glanced up to his frozen mother and pulled her clothes once more, jolting her out of her surprise. She smiled and nodded toward the boy, who hesitantly grabbed the stick, but in the end his mouth was curved into a thankful warm smile. The smaller boy on his left also stepped forward and gratefully accepted the gift from the stranger.

"Thank you kitsune-san." Toroku only nodded, not sure what he should say. The woman bowed and gently grabbed the children's hands and headed toward their destination. Rin stepped next to the blond and they watched together as the cheerful children happily ate the fish, chatting and chuckling until they mixed into the crowd.

"You always surprise me." The teen just shrugged, closed his eyes and let out a thin layer of chakra around him. When he found what he was looking for he waved a hand toward a dark spot in a small alley. A frowning suna kunoichi stepped out from the darkness, and she slowly approached them.

"Sorry, for the inconvenience, but is there a place where I can train? Nothing serious, or destructive of course." The ninja raised an eyebrow and waved her hand to follow. Ten minutes later they reached an open space next to the village walls and sat down with crossed legs in front of each other.

"Okay, show me your progress."

The blond ran through the hand seals and an abstract form of a bunshin popped up next to him. It wobbled ten steps on its thin legs, before landing flat on the ground and popped out of existence. A snort and a loud laugh echoed in the training ground, but it immediately died down when the annoyed Toroku send a kunai toward the laughing shinobi in the shadows. The weapon passed his head within millimeters and precociously buried up to the metal ring into the hard stone behind him, still glowing with his wind chakra.

"No laughing, I'm trying to concentrate here you know." An annoyed, snort left the shadow and a man approached closer to lean onto a thick pole to observe him closer.

"The chakra was still too much." Rin made a wondering face and she suddenly snapper her fingers.

"Make more!" Toroku raised an eyebrow and a cheeky smile ran across his face.

"How many do you want? Around two thousand?" Rin rolled her eyes but she smiled at the amused humming voice at their back.

"Try first to make ten." The blond ran through the seals again and this time ten clones appeared around him, wobbling a little, but this time they are standing more confidently and looked much more like the blond in front of Rin.

"Dismiss and then make twenty." Toroku frowned but he performed the exercise obediently, only to repeat one more time. In the end forty clones stood still in the small training ground, without wobbling, and perfectly copied the caster. Rin nodded with satisfaction and moved closer to a clone, eyeing it curiously.

"Okay. Perfect. From now on, dismiss them and consecutively make one less."

The blond nodded when he finally understand the method and a smirk ran across his face. Rin moved next to the suna jonin and sat down to eye the process from a distance. After an hour, and thirty clones less, Toroku heard the soft breathing of Rin. He glanced toward the sleeping girl and the still guarding jonin who moved back into the shadows and let out a weary sigh.

Suddenly he heard a soft chuckling from the shore of the training ground and he felt the jonin stiffened in the shadows and more shinobis appeared around the ground. A blond girl stepped inside the training ground, slowly approaching the blond. She wasn't more than maybe four. Her green eyes curiously run over his sitting form. She walked until she stood only a meter from him. Toroku slowly tilted his head, examining his new companion and he felt as the shinobis' muscles tensed and their heartbeats rose. He turned toward the hiding ninja behind him who received his kunai and shook his head slowly in annoyance.

"I won't eat her you know." The girl narrowed her eyes and Toroku shook his head once again and a sigh left his lips, muffled by his mask. The tension of his guards didn't ease down, rather it increased.

"Who are you talking to?"

"My babysitters." Green orbs looked onto his cerulean blue ones with a raised eyebrow.

"I saw your training. You are pathetic. Even I can make a bunshin." Toroku raised an eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not pathetic. I'm actually quite strong…"

"You are pathetic. How could you be strong if you can't even do something which I can?" He snorted and folded his arms in front of his chest, eyeing the small child in front of him with a pout behind his mask.

"Your team mate also weak. What shinobi fall asleep in enemy territory?"

"Shinobi who trust in their comrades." Toroku stated coldly and narrowed his eyes on the girl.

"I don't like you." The girl shrugged, but she sat down next to him, eying him curiously.

"You are ill?" Toroku glanced down the girl next to him with confusion.

"No."

"Then you are ugly." Toroku snorted.

"I'm not ugly. I'm handsome."

"Then why are you wearing that mask?"

"I'm in incognito." The girl narrowed her eyes, measuring him up from head to toe.

"I don't believe you. Only strong shinobi travel in incognito. So you are pathetic and ugly." A frustrated groan left Toroku's mouth.

"I'm not pathetic. I'm strong."

"Prove it."

"I'm not going to prove anything to a little girl." A victorious snort left the girl's mouth and she smirked.

"I know it." Toroku ruffled his hair in annoyance and let out a frustrated groan.

"Fine. Look." Toroku lifted his palm, concentrated chakra into it, and a shadow clone popped out from nowhere next to him who let a satisfied smile run across his face when the girl yelped in her surprise, while the muscles of his guards tensed until the breaking point.

The clone moved his hands toward his raised palm, where a small mini tornado already formed. The technique was small, but it already started to pick up sand under him, mixing it together with the wind chakra. The clone closed his eyes in his concentration, mixing another element into the swirling wind, and the increasing amount of sand mixed inside the whirling tornado. It started to glow with bright orange color, emitting heat when the fire chakra activated. Another clone popped up on the other side, channeling another chakra element into the mix. Water started to pour inside it, steam ran out from his palms and the flowing tornado started to slow down, until it stopped and Toroku jerk his hand under it, before it could touch his skin. A small glass statue of a tornado lay at their feet, still glowing with a faint yellow light, with a small mounting at the base. The girl leaned forward slowly, but Toroku raised a hand.

"Don't touch it now." The blond moved his two palms toward the small statue, and razor sharp wind chakra blades started to swirl around the small statue, cutting down the glass here and there at the mounting, and in the end soft wind started to flow out from his palms, cooling down the small statue slowly until he could touch it. The two clones watched it with satisfaction and finally popped out from existence with a small amount of smoke. Toroku grabbed the statue, and swept down the remaining sand from it and handed over to the amused child.

"A small souvenir."

The blond child slowly turned it, examining the still tepid glass in the last beams of the settling sun and yelped with excitement when a beam reached its surface, fashioning at the mountain to millions of colorful sparkles. Toroku let out a satisfied smile and a weary sigh and folded his arms once more. He was very satisfied with himself and the improvement in his chakra control.

"How did you do that?"

"That is a secret." The girl frowned, but he continued to look at the statue.

"I don't understand. If you can do that than why you failed before?"

"I got a lot of chakra, and picking up this tiny amount is hard." The girl shook her head in confusion. Toroku tapped his chin and snapped his finger. He leaned forward and picked up a very small amount of sand with two fingers, then let it fall down to his palms.

"Pick only one grain of sand from my palm." The girl gave a confused look, but after the second try, she successfully separated one grain in her small palm. Toroku nodded and now he scooped his palms into the soft sand and held them out toward the frowning child.

"I can't. I can't even see the grains." Toroku nodded and watched how realization appeared on her chubby face.

"Oh…"

"See? That's why I can't do a bunshin properly."

"But you do two before." Toroku slowly shook his head, ran through the seals and a still unsteadily standing, but quite similar clone of him appeared next to him. He waved his hand toward the clone, watching and feeling as his palm ran through the compressed chakra in the air freely without any resistance.

"It's just an illusion as you can see." Another Toroku appeared behind the girl and ruffled her blond hair and sat down next to her, poking her softly with a finger and the clone started to speak.

"Shadow clones are solid. Not like normal clones. This means we can hit, and fortunately we can't be hit more than only just once, that goes to the boss." The girl frowned and poked back the clone. Toroku rolled his eyes and nodded to the clone who smirked under his mask and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Teach me that." Toroku let out a small chuckle and shook his head.

"No way. That is a dangerous technique and you are just a brat. You would die if you even tried it." The small girl folded her arms in front of her small chest, sulking silently, and turned away from the chuunin.

"So, am I cool?" The girl made a wondering face and looked up. _'At least she acts and looks like a normal child, not a premature kid like before. She is even cute.'_ Toroku smiled under his mask, eying the small child in front of him softly.

"Okay, maybe. But you could still be ugly under that mask." The teen narrowed his eyes and an angry snort left his mouth. _'I withdraw my last statement. She is a harpy.'_ He let out a weary sigh and waved a hand to the girl.

"Come closer." She moved toward the boy obediently and Toroku ran his fingers fast in the soft sand, creating a fine design with every stroke of his finger into the golden soil. The girl frowned until he finished it five minutes later.

"Hey, jonin-san, don't be scared, we will be here." The jonin frowned in the shadows and Toroku channeled some chakra into his fast seal. His surroundings immediately become foggier and the voices around them muffled. The child shook her chubby head from side to side, and a small amount of fear ran across her face.

"Relax. That is just a privacy seal. We are still on the training ground, but our picture is foggy from the outside. " Toroku moved his hand, pushing his mask onto his blond locks and sent a wide foxy grin toward the girl.

"Satisfied?" The child examined his face for a long moment, and nodded. Toroku immediately put back his mask.

"So, this is our small secret. What do you say?" The girl nodded and a warm smile ran across her face.

"Then I remove the barrier before my babysitter has a nervous breakdown outside." He nodded toward a foggy man, standing next to the barrier and he channeled some chakra into it, dismissing the seal around them. He turned toward the angry jonin and waved an apologetic hand toward the nervous ninja.

"You really aren't ugly. But you still look funny." Toroku had leaned back on the soft sand and let out a beaten sigh and waved a hand toward the child.

"I'm finished with you. I don't care anymore about my reputation. Think what you want. You are too troublesome." He slowly shook his head and glanced toward the slowly breathing Rin from the corner of his eyes. He sat up with a groan, and tilted his head from side to side.

"What's your name?"

"Temari." The blond girl gave him a small bow, and after a shrug also mimicked the gesture.

"So, Temari-chan. I think it's time for me to gather my comrade and put her into a proper bed. And by the approaching footsteps this is also the plan for you." The girl frowned and turned around to see her mother cross the corner. Toroku carefully eyed as a shoulder-length, sandy brown haired woman approached them with a worried look on her soft features and a definitely round tummy.

"Oh-oh." Toroku glanced down to his small companion and let out a small chuckle.

"You are in trouble aren't you?" The girl only nodded and waved a hand to the blond before she ran toward the woman. Toroku let out a weary sigh and turned around to gather Rin and move back to their room.

Fortunately the night was uneventful and peaceful. The team needed the rest and none of them would argue with it. They were weary by the continuous walking, dry from the harsh wind, and their skin somewhere burned by the hot beams of the sun. Toroku put down privacy seals on his bed, so finally he was able to get rid of his mask at least while he slept, which was only minutes after he finally laid down on his bed.

* * *

The blond shifted in his hard bed and an unconscious moan left his mouth while he was sleeping. His head jerked to the side and he suddenly stopped breathing. Jiraiya frowned at the next bed, and after half minute without a breath, he sat up in his bed, ready to shake the teen back to reality. Before he could move to Toroku, the blond jerked up, with wide eyes, painting heavily for seconds, then he crunched his head into his lap and stayed still, waiting to catch his breath. He stayed in that pose for a long minute while his breath settled down to a more pleasant level. He slowly leaned back on the bed, his palms rested on his eyes to ease away the remaining bits of his nightmare. The empty passages and that dam door, the sheer panic and that…Thing… with every night that Thing became stronger and stronger. This time, he could even smell its scent, but he couldn't identify any familiar part of it. It was greasy, heavy, disgusting but still…somehow also inviting.

"I'm not going to freak out Jiraiya. Just a nightmare."

"About what?" The blond shook his and let out a weary sigh.

"Drowning." The sannin raised an eyebrow but didn't answer, only waited patiently for him to continue.

"I don't know, it comes back sometimes. The first one at Kumo, when I was knocked out. After that it comes out sometimes." The blond let out a weary sigh and rubbed his forehead, while the sannin eyed the blond curiously. _'Sometimes…Bullshit. He was jerking in his dreams ever since we put our feet into the sand.'_

"Do you want to talk about it?" Toroku let out an irritated grunt and turned his head toward the sannin.

"I didn't know you were a psychologist or good with mind jutsus." Jiraiya only chuckled quietly not to disturb the other's dreams and leaned back into his pillow.

"Sorry but I'm tired." Jiraiya didn't answered only eyed the teen curiously as he turned around, showing his back to him.

He let out a weary sigh. He didn't need a subconscious analyst about that dream. _'I don't want to know what's behind that door. I don't want to open and face that…Thing. That is definitely not a human.' _Toroku glanced up, out of the window, up to the ink black sky, spotted with faint yellow stars. He slowly closed his eyelids and forced his brain to settle down, to sink back into his well determined dream. Hopefully very far away from narrow passageways, canals, ink black oily water and from that thing at the other side of the door.

* * *

The negotiation was dry, boring and they actually didn't talk about anything particular, just hovering around each other's option without even approximating any consensus. The Kazekage was tough nut to crack, even for Konoha's envoy when he finally spoke. The Kage concentration on the envoy only broke for moments when his eyes traveled to Toroku. That first time when their eyes met, the blond visibly flinched by the cutting glance.

After the first hour of speaking about nothing, Toroku felt his eyelids become heavier, and only a painful hunch from Jiraiya restrained him from falling asleep while he was still standing at the wall in the background. He was weary and his muscles were sore. He did slept last night, however it wasn't reposeful. In the third hour of standing still, without any movement, he felt himself more weary than yesterday night, and his mind slowly became heavier and foggier. His chakra flow slowed down and the voices in the office started to drift away and sounds muffled like he was submerged underwater. He had heard something in the back of his mind. Than he heard it one more time. A cracking voice. Someone cleared his throat. Something forcing him out from his mind, and his vision slowly became clearer and clearer, to meet the stern look and the narrowed dark eyes of the Kazekage. He blinked fast several times and turned his head around in confusion to realize that he was standing alone next to the wall, the remaining of his team waiting for him at the door looking at him. He scratched the back of his neck nervously and made a deep bow to the Kage, before fleeing out from the room with a hard snap on the back of his head by Jiraiya.

"You are unbelievable. You were able to almost fall asleep in front of the Kazekage." Toroku only shrugged and let out a weary yawn before he made one last quick glance toward the door. He still felt the leader's eyes on his back and that forced a shiver down his spine.

* * *

Toroku was sitting in the middle of yesterday's training ground alone, his mind was blank as he spaced out during his training. After he dismissed his last group of three perfect bunshin, he felt as the weariness finally reached him, but he didn't move from his spot. He was struggling to stand up and walk back to their crowded room, but it felt nice sitting on the soft sands in spite of having his company hiding around him. He closed his eyes and slowed down his breathing, trying to lock out his tiredness, when he felt a soft tug on his clothe. He let out a sigh, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Hello Temari-chan." The blond girl made a surprised look that Toroku couldn't see, but he could still sense the increased heartbeat, her tensed muscles on her chubby face and the sudden hick in her breathing.

"How do you know it's me?"

"I can smell you, hear you and feel your chakra signature. Those are better identifications then even your eyes. Your vision could be tricked easily, but it's much harder to trick your other senses you know." Toroku finally opened his eyes and turned toward the small child and smiled at her amused face.

"For example, if you look around, you can't see anybody can you?" The child slowly shook her head and her big green eyes sparked with curiosity.

"Beside us, there are three more people in this training ground. A guy next to that pole stinks by the garlic he probably ate yesterday. There is a kunoichi hiding behind you underground, but her chakra flow jumped when you appeared, and the third shinobi's heartbeat also increased on that tree when you arrived next to me." He slowly closed his eyes and let out a thin, almost invisible layer of chakra and nodded to himself. Temari looked around carefully where Toroku pointed, but she couldn't see anyone.

"You want to learn something?" The face of the child almost sparkled, her eyes begged to the blond and he couldn't help the warm smile that appeared on his face.

"I take it as a yes." The blond chuckled softly and tapped the ground next to him, signing to the child to sit down which was immediately done. She glanced up at him with curious eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"I take it you can channel chakra well if you already can do a bunshin." The small girl nodded in response, fixing her gaze on her companion.

"Then, channel some chakra into your nose." Temari frowned, but did as he asked. Toroku watched the process with curious eyes.

"A little bit more…Okay, good. Now, remember this level. If it's done you can release it." The small child nodded and turned toward Toroku with curious eyes.

"Now, close your eyes and sniff into the air a little. Can you smell something sweet?" Temari frowned in her concentration and squeezed her eyes shut, forcing her nose to look for the scent. After five minutes she gave up and looked back at her temporary teacher.

"Nothing. Sorry." Toroku smiled beneath his mask.

"Now try it once more, but this time, channel the same amount of chakra into your nose. Try to push it into the flesh of your nose and not into the opening." Temari frowned, than nodded and did as he said concentrating with every bit of nerve on the task for minutes, until her eyes popped open in her surprise.

"It's chocolate!" A proud smile appeared on Toroku's face and he ruffled the blond locks of the small child next to him. He dug his hands into his left pocket and placed a small amount of the named sweet into her tiny hands.

"Exactly. Your reward." A wide grin spread on her face and she immediately unwrapped the paper. They stayed in silence for several long minutes before her eyes travelled to the azure blue orbs between his mask and the small girl frowned.

"You look tired."

"I'm tired actually. How do you know?"

"I could see the bags around your eyes through the holes in your mask." Toroku ruffled his hand through her hair earning a displeased groan from his small company.

"You're really a smart girl. You will become an excellent shinobi." Temari smiled at him, almost grinning.

"You can't sleep?" Toroku only nodded and glanced up to the flawless blue sky without a cloud.

"You are missing your home?"

The blond chuckled. _'Home…I don't even know where I could call home.'_ He closed his eyes and his mind traveled back to the green forests around Konoha which warmed up his heart. _'Maybe I know after all.'_ Temari gave a knowing look and she started to play with the sand in front of her, making small piles, digging holes.

"When I can't sleep, mother or father tells me a story." Toroku turned his head toward the girl, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Do you want to hear a story from me? Maybe you will be able to sleep after that. It's a story my mother used to tell me when I got a nightmare…." Toroku blinked at the unexpected kindness of the girl, then nodded without a word.

"There once was a great shinobi, someone who was feared and honored all over the lands. He was the nephew of the lightning god you know. He traveled all over the world, teaching all kind of techniques to anyone who wanted. But he actually traveled to hunt down the monsters of the world and bring peace to the lands by defeating every demon. He fell asleep one day under an oak tree, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a fox looking for food in his bags. He watched the fox and in the end, he offered his last piece of dried meat. Years after that, when he faced with a demon near a village and he was about to die from his wounds, a fox appeared and sat down on his stomach to protect him from the demon. The fox couldn't help the shinobi, but he gave a final gift to the man and placed him onto the sky. If you look up at the night sky, you can see him in the stars watching over us and fighting with the monsters of the night, which don't let us sleep. This is how in the end he brings peace to the world in our dreams…" Toroku stayed in silence for several minutes, eying the young child carefully.

"This isn't a bedtime story I think, but it's still nice." Temari shook her head.

"No, but I like it. My mommy tells it much better. Father once showed me where he is. He called him Orion I think." Toroku blinked and looked up to the blue sky, where he knew the constellation would appear in a few hours.

"Thank you Temari-chan. I think I will be able to sleep tonight." The child smiled at him and felt as his inside melted away, but he didn't dare to even move a finger. The child chuckled and turned back to her almost-ready sandcastle. Toroku smiled at the pleasant scene and he couldn't avert his gaze from the happy face.

He suddenly froze as he felt a familiar presence, at a nearby house. He slowly turned his head to the side and looked up at a balcony to meet two dark and stern orbs. The eyes didn't avert from him when the man slowly approached them, floating in the sky on a golden cloud, to land gracefully on the sand in the center of the training ground. The Kazekage stood behind them, his arms folded in front of his chest, and his gaze sent a cold chill down his spine as the power of the man crested above his sitting form. The child didn't notice his presence as she continued creating another tower for her sandcastle. Toroku finally braced himself and straightened, attracting Temari's attention as he bowed to the leader. A soft yelp left Temari's small mouth and the dark eyes of the Kage travelled toward the child.

"Temari. We agreed on something last night." The voice of the Kazekage wasn't even similar to what Toroku already heard. It was hard, somehow still soft and the child looked down to the sand in front of her in shame.

"I'm sorry father." The child nervously closed her small fingers around the edges of her clothes.

"Go home. We aren't finished." The girl had bowed lightly and fled from the ground as fast as she could, but in the end, she still waved a hand toward Toroku. The blond didn't even dare to blink, as the Kage moved his eyes back to his blue orbs, watching him suspiciously.

"I'm very interested why a shinobi of Konoha would teach anything to a child of Suna. Especially to the Kazekage's daughter." Toroku blinked in confusion and bowed once more, forcing his muscles to move despite the enormous killing intent flowing continuously from the Kage. He felt as two of the shinobi nearby started to shake by the feeling. The cold and threatening tone of the man sent chills again down his spine.

"I didn't know Temari-san was your child. I apologize, Kazekage-sama, if I caused trouble or my actions made you worry. I haven't got any malicious pretense toward your child nor to your village." He narrowed his eyes. He himself didn't know why he did that. Before his awkward silence could treat the Kage's tensed nerves, he felt a familiar chakra signature and relief flow across him. He never ever was so glad for the presence of the sannin. The man slowly approached them, seeming to be aware of the situation.

"Kazekage-sama." He bowed to the Kage, who narrowed his eyes as a response.

"I demand explanations about your attendance in Sunagakure and his purpose. Immediately." The sannin turned to Toroku and raised an eyebrow at the teen.

"What did you do?" Toroku raised a hand behind his head and scratched his neck nervously.

"I just…"

"Immediately remove the mask. I won't tolerate unknown and seemingly powerful shinobi around my children." The sannin let out a sigh and shook his head in defeat.

"Kazekage-sama, allow me a short discussion with my Hokage. I didn't receive authority to reveal his identity." The Kage narrowed his eyes and nodded. The sannin bit down his fingertip and ran through a chain of hand signs. Toroku immediately recognized the jutsu, and when a small yellow toad appeared in a puff of smoke he felt his mouth curved up in a soft smile behind his mask. The small toad looked around and stiffened when he felt the Kage's angry gaze on him, and immediately turned to Jiraiya.

"Tell Minato that the Kazekage demands to see under the fox's mask. It's urgent, no wondering around okay?" The toad rolled his eyes and disappeared in a puff of smoke without a word. The Kage stayed still with folded arms, eying Toroku with narrowed eyes, until within a small puff of smoke the yellow toad appeared on the shoulder of Jiraiya again in five minutes.

"Hokage-sama agreed until it is necessary, but only within six eyes." Jiraiya nodded in response and the small toad immediately disappeared with a small puff.

"Kazekage-sama if you agree, would we please be able to continue this in a more private place."

The leader nodded and turned around to head back inside his office. When they reached the building, the Kage snapped a finger and Toroku felt as every guard disappeared from the room, however not very pleased to let their leader alone with two enemy shinobi. Especially not with one of the sannin. Jiraiya showed a privacy seal to the Kage, who nodded his agreement and the blond felt the same way like yesterday on the training ground.

"Lower your mask Toroku." Jiraiya stated calmly and the teen obediently took down his mask after a moment of hesitation. The Kazekage eyed him from head to toe, without showing any emotions, only his right eye twitched almost invisibly at the sight of the young man.

"Who are you?" The blond blinked and bowed.

"Odoroki Toroku, Kazekage-sama."

"What is your purpose here?" Toroku gave back a confused look and turned toward Jiraiya.

"To escort Konoha's envoy." The Kage narrowed his eyes and moved his orbs toward Jiraiya. Understanding flashed through his dark eye when he connected the dots in the small puzzle, but his faced stayed calm.

"I see. Than we should still clear one more question. Why are you wondering around my daughter?" Toroku blinked and answered hesitantly.

"Actually it wasn't me who was wandering around her. She was the one who found me twice and didn't leave."

"Why did you teach my daughter?" Toroku only shrugged.

"Because she asked."

The Kage narrowed his eyes, and confusion ran across his mind, however it wasn't visible on his face. He widened his senses at the very moment they stepped inside the office, to sense every twitch in his chakra flow, every tense in his muscles, even the changes in his smell, but the boy stayed calm and honest. _'What the hell…' _The leader narrowed his eyes, his cold glazed almost stabbing through the azure blue orbs of Toroku. The three men stayed in complete silence for a long minute, waiting for each other's reaction. The Kazekage finally turned around and he slowly stepped to the large window.

"You can put back the mask. Leave. I want to ask Jiraiya-san to stay for a little longer. And from now on, avoid my daughter." His voice was calm and tempered. Toroku put back his mask and he left the room after a bow without a word. The Kage let his eyes dwell on the village below his feet, and finally turned around to face the sannin, who stood motionless in the middle of the room.

"Your Hokage is a fool. Do you think I will tolerate that he sent a shinobi here, who need the surveillance of you? You brought possible danger to my village without my knowledge. To start a peace talk." Jiraiya's face stayed completely calm, and his tone made the same impression.

"My apologies Kazekage-sama, but I don't think Konoha's home affairs are considering you in any aspects."

"He put his foot inside the Land of Wind, inside my village. At this moment, he isn't a home affair. He is a threat to my people." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and stepped next to the Kazekage and glanced out of the window, to catch as Toroku turned at a corner, heading back to their room.

"I know you made strict security preparations because of our arrival. Especially for me, and Toroku-kun. Tell me, what had your shinobi seen when they watched the boy? What were their reports about? Because I don't think they were about a possible threat." The dark eyes of the Kazekage visibly twitched.

"He is someone like you and I were once, before we lost ourselves in the shinobi world. He still carries and gives goodwill to anybody without considering who he gave it to."

"Goodwill isn't a value of a shinobi."

"No. That is true. It is a value of a person"

Jiraiya slowly turned around to face with the Kazekage, whose expression stayed the same, only his eyes mirrored some foggy emotions. Jiraiya bowed and left the room without a world, leaving the Kage alone with his thoughts.

* * *

A young blond girl was sitting on the windowsill, looking up to the darkening sky. She had already spotted the Vesper, and waiting patiently for more stars to appear. She wasn't aware of a man, leaned onto the doorframe of her room, watching her carefully without a word for a half an hour now.

"Temari." The girl flinched at the sudden voice and looked back at her father.

"Yes, father?"

The small child glanced up toward the darkening sky, desperately looking for something, and she felt as her father moved closer to her small form, and also sat down on the stool next to her.

"What are you doing in the widow?"

"I'm waiting for the stars." The Kazekage frowned and glanced up to the sky.

"You can't sleep?" The girl shook her head slowly.

"I wanted to stay awake until he could sleep."

"Who?"

"Kitsune-san." The leader narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to his child, watching her carefully. He spotted a small statue in her small arms.

"Don't go near him." The girl turned toward her father with confused eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because he is an enemy ninja from another village." The child frowned in her confusion.

"I don't think he is a bad man. He looks funny, but he isn't mean." The kage frowned.

"You saw his face?" The girl nodded, slowly, not sure whether she should have told this to her father.

"He told me that I can't talk about what he looks like, because he is in incognito." The man frowned in his bewilderment. _'Why on earth would an enemy ninja show his face to a child?'_

"You asked him to show it?" Temari give a wondering look, tapping her small chin, then shook her head.

"No, I just told him that I think he is ugly under his mask and that's is why he wore it." The Kage rested his dark eyes on his daughter's chubby face, wondering what this could all mean.

"Temari, why do you want to wait for the stars?"

"Because he didn't tell me why, but I know he can't sleep well. So I told him the tale you used to tell me when I couldn't sleep, about the Orion."

"Why did you tell him that?"

"Because he helped me, and I thought it might help him." The Kazekage's expression softened as he eyed his daughter.

"You really want to wait because of that? It will be more than an hour until they appear."

The girl only nodded, and turned toward his father with determined eyes. A soft smile ran across his face as their eyes meet. Strange. Temari wasn't that kind of girl who cares too much for others. Actually, she didn't even like her brother. They were always fighting, arguing, but somehow in the last two days it suddenly stopped. The Kage opened his arms and moved her daughter into his lap.

"I'll stay until you go to bed okay?" Temari smiled back at him and nodded, then she tumbled herself into the soft fabric of her father's clothes, averting her green orbs to the darkening sky, looking for the Orion together with the leader of Sunagakure.

* * *

A blond man was lying in his bed, glancing outside the window of their small, crowded room. It was an hour since the first star appeared in the ink black sky, but he was still waiting—waiting for a group of stars to finally appear in the left corner of the window. He was waiting for the Orion, in the hope to finally sink into a dream without the endless sewer. When the stars finally appeared on the sky, a soft smile spread across his face and he let out a weary breath, and sank into a dreamless night.

* * *

The Kazekage rested his eyes on Toroku for several moments when they entered the small office, but he didn't show any emotion. Neither on his face nor in his eyes. In the end the preparation for the final peace talk with the Hokage himself was successful, however the Kazekage made boldly claims in case of a future alliance, unlike Konoha's more moderate requests. The teen carefully watched the sannin from the corner of his eyes. They didn't talk after he left the Kazekage's office yesterday, however he was prepared for a rocket. Maybe he was bequeathing it to Minato. He unconsciously gulped when he remembered the threatening cold blue eyes of Minato the day before they left for Suna and it forced a shiver down his spine.

When the envoy finally finished and bowed toward the Kazekage a loose sigh left Toroku's mouth. It's over. They would head home in minutes. He closed his eyes and a small homesickness ran through his veins when he thought back to Konoha. Their team also bowed to the leader, while Jiraiya thanked their accommodation and hospitality before they left the room, followed by the dark eyes of the Kazekage. The small team left Sunagakure right after the last glance from the Kage of the sand village.

* * *

The travel from Suna was so uneventful that it was a pain in the ass. Toroku let out a relieved sigh when he finally spotted the great walls of the village with the two enormous wooden wings. He cheerfully hopped inside the village, and sniffed into the air to finally feel the familiar, sweet scent of Konoha, the mixture of wet soil and the freshly cut grass. Jiraiya tapped his shoulder and sent a smile to the blond and nodded with his head toward the Hokage tower. The soft smile under his mask immediately melted away. He gulped, anticipating his execution by the blond village leader. However, he still didn't quite understand what he did that was so damn wrong back in Suna. He could only think of the daughter of the Kazekage, and that only happened because he didn't know who she was. He let out a moan, but finally he nodded to the sannin. They slowly approached the tower and Toroku hesitated at the door of the office before he stepped inside to face his destiny.

Minato held his head in one of his palms as he frowned at a large scroll rolled over the desk. He blinked and finally turned his head toward the small group, a soft smile on his face.

"It took you long to finally arrive. I expected you earlier."

Jiraiya only shrugged and handed over his report about the mission, which he'd already carefully prepared last night. The envoy also handed over his own scroll, bowed to the Hokage and then left the room without a word or even a nod toward the four shinobi who he'd lived with more than two weeks. Minato rolled his eyes at the scene, and waved toward Toroku.

"You can get rid of the mask from now on." Toroku blinked in confusion. He had forgotten that he was even wearing it, he was so used to doing everything with that thing on his face. He hissed in his annoyance and a muffled curse left his mouth, but he happily lowered it from his face.

"That is much better. Thanks." Minato smiled gently and held his hand toward Toroku, who placed it into his brothers opened palm. _'It's a shame. I had plans with that.'_

"Kakashi. I got some news for you." Minato made a cocky smile which forced the jonin's only visible eyes to twitch, and in the end he raised a curious eyebrow.

"The beast is back and already looking for you." A defeated groan left the jonin's mouth and palmed his forehead in irritation.

"When he will leave?"

"Next week, so you will have some time together." The jonin let out a weary sigh and nodded. Toroku's eyes were fixed on the Kakashi, wide with curiosity.

"Team meeting at my apartment at six. What do think about that?" The Hokage asked cheerfully, and received nods and willing sounds from every member of the team. Before they turned around to left the room, Minato hollered out, "Toroku, Jiraiya, a moment please." A soft moan left the blonds mouth, but he turned around and closed the door behind the sannin.

"I really didn't do anything. I swear." Minato gave a confused look to the blond and to Jiraya, who only shrugged, but nodded.

"He really didn't do anything." Minato sent an apologetic look toward the blond and smiled.

"Actually I wanted to thank you. You made quite a big impression on the Kazekage and that was also my intention besides some additional reasons." Toroku gave a confused look, and a raised eyebrow, than in the end he folded his arms in front of his chest, waiting for some explanation.

"Because of Kitsune's pressure, he wasn't playing poker during the preparations. The Fourth Kazekage is a hard nut to crack if we are talking about diplomacy. He has got quite a unique view of the ninja world. And I also counted that in the end when you had to remove your mask."

"You used me as a distraction?" Minato make another apologetic smile and shrugged, while the teen's eyes narrowed to a dangerous level.

"Sorry, but if I told you about my plan you wouldn't play your role. You are an awful actor Toroku." The named teen turned to Jiraiya emitting a proper amount of killing intent toward the sannin.

"You knew about this the whole time don't you? And you left me in the thought that I ruined something after I had to remove my mask. For a full week while we traveled home." Jiraiya smirked and shrugged cheekily.

"If you may pardon me. I think I have to leave now, or I will try out one of my jutsus on the pervert in your new office Minato." The blond chuckled and waved a hand and the blond left the room across the window without a word, with a twitching eye, but a still forced stoic face. However Minato was sure, if he found a report tomorrow about a wiped out training ground he would know who to blame. Minato let out a sigh and turned toward his sensei.

"So? Anything interesting news not included in your report?"

"I had contact with every last of my spies, instructing them to watch out for someone with a sharingan, but until now nothing." Jiraiya frowned and moved his thoughts toward Toroku.

"He definitely had been in Suna before, even in the Kazekage's tower. At some part he led the way, then he suddenly stopped and became confused, however the Kage didn't recognize him. Actually he almost killed him when he found out his daughter was befriending him. Maybe he was somehow connected with the third one. "Jiraiya shrugged and continued.

"Since the night we stepped inside the dessert, he got nightmares. Drowning. At least he had sad it was about that, and he seemed quite honest and disturbed enough when we spoke about it. But they suddenly stopped the night when he removed the mask, however I don't think it was connected with that event."

"So we still can't completely rule out Suna." Minato sighed and massaged his forehead. Jiraiya moved closer and sat down on the chair.

"I also travel a lot, I had already visited every big shinobi village and I didn't leave all of them with pleasant memories. We could assume that Suna was an important place for him. I told him Nagato's name. He reacted, however he said he wasn't sure what he felt, but he told me that it was respect. Everything still points much more toward Ame than Suna." The sannin shrugged, then he narrowed his eyes and fix his gaze on the desk.

"I think you can relax. He won't do anything to harm you or the village. He will be okay under the continuous checkups with a Yamanaka. " Jiraiya frowned and didn't continue his report for a minute, while Minato narrowed his eyes, carefully observing his sensei's uneasy expression.

"He asked me a favor..." Minato raised an eyebrow and watched his sensei curiously, waiting for him to finally reveal something while he was definitely fighting with himself in his brain.

"He asked me to kill him if something goes wrong..." Minato's eyes widened with shock. He froze for a long minute while thoughts ran through his brain. Jiraiya slowly shook his head, to ease away the disturbing thoughts.

"You gained a really honorable relative Minato." The Hokage let out a sigh and dug his face into his palms, but a small smile still forced itself out.

"I know…"

* * *

Kushina made a feast for the gods and Toroku thankfully inhaled every last bit of the food after living mostly on ration bars for two weeks. The kunoichi watched him in awe as a third bowl of rice disappeared in his almost endless stomach.

"Who is this beast?" Toroku asked curiously, leaning toward Kakashi, who just let out a sigh while Minato laughed until it finally died down to chuckles.

"The green beast of Konoha, the eternal rival of Kakashi-kun." The jonin snorted and folded his arms around his chest.

"You will know him in time, I'm sure. He is a very…hmm…unique shinobi." Minato stated with a wondering face, looking up to the ceiling, tapping his chin until a cocky smile spread across his fine features, earning a confused look from the blond. Toroku glanced toward the annoyed Kakashi, but in the end only shrugged and continued inhaling his food.

The team meeting didn't last long, they chatted about Suna, the desert, the town, and in the end the obviously low economics of the village. Then Toroku proudly stated that he mastered the bunshin, earning a confused look from Minato and Kushina.

"You know, I asked Rin to help me with my chakra control, before that I wasn't able to make a proper one. I don't think I could have done it without her." The young girl blushed, but she looked back to her first student with obvious pride. Minato shared a look with Jiraiya and turned to Toroku.

"I want you to play with open cards from now. Show us the techniques you mentioned before you left to Suna." A cheeky smile ran across Toroku's face.

"Okay, but find a place which disappearance won't bother you." Minato raised an eyebrow, but nodded and noted the skeptical faces on the others. Only Kakashi held his always stoic expression.

"Then tomorrow after the team meeting." The young teen nodded, but his cocky smile never left his face.

The team left the small apartment and Toroku volunteered to see Rin home and Kakashi also tagged along. They slowly walked toward the narrow streets of Konoha, passing several civilians and shinobi. Toroku glanced up to the sky and crossed his arms behind his neck as they approached Rin's apartment. An irritated groan left Kakashi's mouth and Toroku tracked his eyesight toward a round mess of black hair and two…huge eyebrows and green spandex. A snort left his mouth as he realized he was facing the green beast of Konoha. The shinobi jumped in front of them gracefully and the blond had to admit that, despite his appearance, his every movement exuded confidence and power. A wide grin appeared on his face, and he burst out to Kakashi.

"Hello everyone! I haven't see you for weeks Kakashi. I had almost lost my youthful thoughts without my eternal rival!" Kakashi folded his arms and tilted his head to the side.

"I was out of town for a mission." The beast nodded and turned toward Toroku.

"And who is this youthful shinobi? Isn't he your new team mate everybody is talking about?" Toroku raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the chuckling Rin, who waved a hand to him, while Kakashi nodded.

"Yosh! I am Maito Gai, the beautiful and youthful Green Beast of Konoha!" The boy grabbed Toroku's hand and started to shake enthusiastically, and Toroku felt as his mouth fell open in his shock.

"Odoroki Toroku. Nice to meet you." He finally graced himself and closed his mouth, glancing toward Kakashi from the corner of his eyes in disbelief. _'Kakashi and this guy, together?'_

"My rival, when will we encounter our youthfulness again?" Kakashi massaged his forehead and shook his head.

"Gai, we've just got back from a mission. I will look for you okay?" The green beast grinned toward the jonin and nodded then disappeared after he waved goodbye to the others with a sunshin. Kakashi let out a relieved sigh and turned to the chuckling Toroku.

"Well, Minato was right. He is really a unique shinobi." Toroku couldn't help it and he burst out laughing and tapped the shoulder of the jonin while they continued their trip toward Rin's apartment.

* * *

The Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato felt as his knees started trembling and he forced his muscles to move as he sat down onto the soft grass next to Kushina, who's lips parted, almost reaching the ground under her, the blue orbs mirrored shock and disbelief. Jiraiya watched the scene in front of his eyes, leaning against a giant rock, blinking rapidly, next to his other two new students in complete awe.

"And this is what is called Uzu no Naraku (Whirlwind of Hell)." Two clones popped into existence, holding out their hands, and a great tornado appeared from Toroku's palms, mixing with fire chakra and glowing a blindingly bright orange color. As the wind chakra reacted with the fire, its heat increased to an unbearable level. Toroku released the technique into the air without hitting anything, being sure to avoid a possible forest fire. He forced his breath to settle down and wipe the sweet on his forehead with the back of his hand. He showed everything that was in his mind from his arsenal. He made a satisfied grin when he looked over the faces on the side of the clearing and his heart twitched when he met the awe and pride in Minato's blue orbs.

"I worked on a smaller form of this during our trip to Suna, but I didn't try it out since I trained with my bunshins, so there is a chance it won't work." Toroku extended his left palm, and a clone hovered his own palms above overtop, just like three weeks before on their trip. The small tornado immediately appeared and started to become thinner until it reached a thickness of a razor blade, while the clone started to channel his fire chakra into it slowly. This time, it didn't wobble when it finally started to glow in bright orange, and Toroku nodded to himself in satisfaction.

"I don't think I could throw it. At least not now," he muttered and frowned. "But I could still use it as a blade, or something like that until I figure out how I can do that."

"You made this in two weeks? You have developed a new technique?" Minato blinked in disbelief and Toroku released it and scratched one of his whiskers, thinking.

"Well, not exactly. I tried it only five or six times. However I didn't try it out with other elements. Maybe it could also work with water and lighting."

A wondering expression appeared on his features and nodded to the clone who just shrugged and repeated the movement before. Toroku concentrated water chakra into his palms and forced it into a thin line while it circulated in his hands. The clone started to channel the lighting element into it slowly, when the form suddenly started to wobble and a muffled "Shit…" left the teen's mouth. When the technique collapsed in his palms, it sent lightning chakra through his body and the clone puffed out from existence with a yelp.

It knocked him hard to the ground, forcing out the wind from his lungs as his muscles in his chest squeezed painfully, his limbs jerking unstoppably, and his eyelids and teeth squeezed together from the force. When the element finally left his body, his persisting jerking died down to almost continuous small twitching. He forced his eyes open and rolled his body onto his stomach. He distantly noted that the others were next to him, and someone was already touching his back, probably Rin, but their voices were muffled and he couldn't use his eyes. When he tried to focus, only perpetually dancing white spots appeared in front of the foggy picture of the green grass he was lying in.

He slowly moved his arms below his chest to push himself up, but his joints gave up, and he landed hard against the soil when his joints folded after another twitch. A harsh moan left his mouth as he was finally able to focus his vision to a blade of grass centimeters from his eyes. He finally wobbled himself to his hands and knees and shook his head to clear his foggy vision and brain. However that was a bad idea. He immediately leaned forward and clapped his hands onto his mouth, forcing back the feeling to let out his breakfast in front of everyone. He breathed hard through his nose, his eyes closed into a thin line and he tried to focus his brain on something else. Anything other than the feeling in his stomach. Finally it left him and he was finally able to push himself up to sit properly, leaning on his hands, his legs stretched out.

"I still hate lightning releases." He cursed under his breath with a muffled and harsh voice, blinked, and the picture of a worried Rin suddenly appeared in front of him, together with some dancing white spot. He shook his head again and blinked, forcing the annoying white spots to finally die down.

"I'm okay now." He forced a smile on his face to meet one of Rin's raised eyebrow and the disbelief on her soft face. A bright crimson tuft of silky hair dropped onto his shoulders and he realized that it was from Kushina, who lightly leaned above his head, grinning like a maniac and patted the crown of his head before she moved back to give him more space. He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and when he turned to the other side, he found the couching Minato next to him, observing him with concern.

"I'm really okay." Jiraiya also stepped closer, his laugh filled the scarred lands around them while he ruffled the golden locks of Toroku.

"You know, sometimes I think you two are twins. Minato looked exactly the same when he had showed me the first version of his Hiraishin. He even threw up. It was a nasty scene." The named Hokage mumbled something incoherent under his breath in response while rolling his eyes in irritation, but his reddening cheeks were evidence of his embarrassment.

Minato straightened himself and looked around on the devastated training ground. A great crack ran through the middle where one of the S class wind releases met with the soil. He moved his eyes toward a giant black crater, which was made by a Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu (Great Dragon Fire Technique), then he rested his eyes on the several cracks, cuts, craters and charred part of the training ground. The destruction was overwhelming, however Toroku carefully reduced the efficientness of the techniques. He leaned down to the teen and lifted him by his arm gaining a thankful look from his brother.

"I think that was enough for today." The blond only nodded as he leaned on his still unsteady legs.

"I'm finished. I showed you everything that I've got and I'm out of chakra." Minato nodded and a soft, warm smile ran across on his face. _'Out of chakra hmm? He's still got more left than an average genin…'_

"I'm proud of you." Toroku blinked and he couldn't hide the smile on his face or his slightly red cheeks.

"Thanks." Minato ruffled the blond locks and let the still smiling blond put an arm around his shoulder, to help support his weight on his wobbling legs, while they walked back to the village for his well-deserved rest.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The story about Orion is inspired by **JanieP**'s time travel fan fiction the **"****The Hardest Part"**. Despite I really didn't like that story in the beginning because how they're handling their identity so easily and I almost stop reading it, it become one of my favorite stories for how it ends and how the aouthor dig deep into their struggle to know or not to know about the future. I just can't get tired re-reading the last quarter again and again.

However it seems like a filler chapter, without it some further steps would be much harder for Naruto.

I want to say thank you once more to **ImaginationJunkie1412** for her hard work as my Beta reader. She really deserves a big applause.

Next chapter: Legacy ;)

**Answers for the Guest reviews:**

Dear Anonymous Guest! Thanks for the long and constructive critique. I'll definitely take your advices. Unfortunately I accidentally deleted your review :(

Daisy: Thank you. Corrected.

**Story recommendations:**

**All On His Shoulders **by** NamikazeMinato99** **-** The Kyuubi's attack on Konoha is just the beginning of the problems that Minato Namikaze has to face. After managing to save his wife and newborn son, he must now deal with the threats happening both outside of and within the village. Can he successfully meet these challenges head on or will it all come crashing down around him? AU. (The war scenes are just…wow. Prepare for deaths, if you can't handle it, don't read it.)

**Looking Glass **by** Random Flyer** – The village is being attacked," Sarutobi said against his better judgment, he was taking too long as it was, too long away from the front lines. "You are one of the goals of this attack, Naruto, so I'm going to send you somewhere I believe you will be safe." (AU and dimension hopping.)

**Forgotten Child by VescaWithoutWings** - Yondaime's jutsu didn't work properly and he survived. Oneshot. (A very touching short story.)

**Nom de Guerre **by** Fiachra Ochiern** - Akatsuki has been banished, and Konoha finally has peace. But it comes at a terrible price. When an old enemy rises again, Konoha turns to a strange ally for help, one who brings back memories that might be best left buried. Note: Slightly divergent. (AU, but anything I would write would be a huge spoiler. Beautifully written, action filled and interesting completed fic.)


	11. Chapter 11 - Legacy

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

Applause goes for my precious Beta reader: **ImaginationJunkie1412**.

**Original upload date: 14/03/2013**

**Last update: **

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 11. – Legacy**

* * *

The days and weeks went by with insane speed since they had returned from Suna. The peace talks with the other nations were going better than anyone would have expected. The fights and battles settled down at the borders, and the incidents between the nations had been limited to politics and battles of words inside offices and meeting rooms. Toroku let out a weary sigh when he thought back to why he was even sitting here for hours.

Despite the national conflicts outside calming down, his inner struggle only becoming stronger and stronger. He was drowning again in his dream, however the door still held out, despite the increasing number of cracks and salience on its rusty surface. That dream avoided him for a while after they returned from Suna, but in the last week it appeared again with a force never before.

Toroku glanced over the sleeping village under his feet from the top of Minato's newly carved head on the Hokage monument. It was almost three months since he had actually gotten into the everyday life of Konoha, a little bit more than two months since he became a shinobi of the village. They had taken several missions, mostly similar to his first, transferring reports and supplies to the borders and to other guard post all over Fire country. But some missions which were not connected to the war were starting to appear, and sometimes he helped in tracking with other teams, however they were rare occasions.

A satisfied smile ran across his face as the first beams of the sun reached the top of his head, and slowly, almost invisibly moved down on his sitting frame, warming up his body. The village gently starting to wake up, he already could smell the sweet scent of the fresh bakery products. An ANBU squad leaped from rooftop to rooftop, in the direction of the village gates, probably already leaving for a mission.

"They're leaving pretty early Cat-chan." A silhouette of a kunoichi stepped out from the shadows of one of the Yondaime's spikes and sat down next to the smiling young chuunin.

He already knew most of the ANBU who were still assigned to watch over him and he gave up the continuous pranking on them. Well, mostly. The devil never sleeps and there was no way he would miss a perfect opportunity just screaming for his awesomeness. He still wasn't completely used to the feeling of continually being followed, but he came to terms with it, and also with the weekly checkups with Inoichi. They also started to meet on the weekends, forming something that could not yet be called friendship. He knew that it was for everyone's safety, and he couldn't deny that sometimes he was thankful to Sarutobi, regardless of his annoyance, that he didn't let down the surveillance despite Minato's request. In the end Minato didn't go against his sensei's last will as the Third Hokage, however he would be able to. He was the new Hokage after all. But Toroku knew that his brother respected the old man enough not to do that and he didn't complain anymore.

"How long will you stay here Toroku-kun?" The teen only shrugged, not looking back to his masked companion.

"Dunno. I like to wait until the streets start to become crowded." He let out a satisfied moan as he stretched his arms behind his back and leaned on them.

"I saw you yesterday in the jewelry." The ANBU flung her head to the side and narrowed her purple eyes under the mask.

"Relax. I only saw your back. But I recognized your scent. You shouldn't wear that robe, you got a nice butt." A furious snort left the girl as she immediately got up and moved back to the shadows, cursing and muttering under her mask.

"That was a compliment you know." He looked over his shoulder where the kunoichi stood in the shadows, than shrugged when he received no answer. _'Girls…Nothing good enough for them.'_ He let out a sigh and continued watching the rising village under his feet.

* * *

The team lined up in front of a long desk, waiting for their next mission. Minato let out a weary yawn and scratched his burning eyes to ease away the unpleasant sensation, then he glanced toward another desk in the corner of the room, where an also obviously tired and weary looking blonde clone frowned, leaning onto his hands above a big pile of paper. The clone blinked and made a grimace above a request and lifted up a signet to make a red marking of disapproval, muttering something angrily about unnecessary tawdry desires. Minato nodded toward the clone who waved his hand in irritation as an answer and pull out anther document from the pile to this time snort in his disapproval.

Minato sent a thankful glance toward his brother, who suggested the idea yesterday night to use a clone to catch up with himself, when Minato almost collapsed on the futon when he finally arrived home. Peace talks go hand in hand with enormous amount of bureaucracy, and somehow Hiruzen had forgotten to mention that when he offered his seat. He would gladly delay his nomination by half a year if he'd known that in advance. Jiraiya cleared his throat and this slapped Minato out from his wondering thoughts. He also cleared his throat and leaned toward a big pile of mission scrolls, handing over the correct one to his once sensei.

"This time you will go to the Kusa borders to relieve a sedentary force at one of our post. It will be a week until the next relay, so prepare equipment for that period." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, but in the end only nodded, and they left the room after a short bow and a waving hand from Toroku.

* * *

His two teammates were tense as they started approaching their destination where they'd lost their teammate and friend. Toroku was unwontedly silence when he felt their mood and he moved closer to the sage to chat with him during their trip. They befriended in the last month and he was slowly proving that he really liked Jiraiya. Well, except when he was annoying and showing off around girls. But despite that, he started to build up respect for the toad sennin and he was thankful for the way the man acted around him since the first time they had met; not with immediate suspicion in his eyes like the others, he was more natural, especially since Suna. Maybe in some ways he trusted Jiraiya more than anyone else in the village, including his brother despite their growing acquaintance since Minato's official nomination.

Since the public ceremony, people started to recognize him, greet him, and he really enjoyed the sight of the smiling and beckoning villagers and shinobi. They didn't announce their relation, however everybody who wasn't blind or half idiot could realize they were relatives by their appearance, how they interacted with each other, and the amount of time they were spending together.

Gossips started to rise in the streets of Konoha and in the Shinobi ranks about their relationship and his sudden appearance, and such talk increased with every rare instance he joined another group with Jiraiya or someone saw him training or sparing. Especially with Minato. A proud smile ran across his face as he thought back their last spar, even though it ended with an almost perfectly cleared training ground and unfortunately many more bruises on him then he would call acceptable. He could mostly keep up with Minato, until he use his annoying Hiraishin. Toroku had already spent long and sleepless nights trying to figure out how he could counter his irritating seal, he failed. But he was certain that the solution is near. Well, almost certain.

Toroku thought back to the public ceremony when Sarutobi handed over his hat, and Minato first put it onto his own head. Minato's eyes almost glowed by the emotions, the joy, the pride, and the overwhelming determination which shined in his blue polls. He also felt the same pride when he was silently standing in the background together with Jiraiya, Kushina, Rin and Kakashi, but he was also aware of the disturbingly great amount of envy which ran across him for a second.

An unconscious grimace appeared on his face, but it was replaced by a smile when he remembered the small, green and obviously old toad that appeared after the ceremony. He thought back to his fit of laughter when the old toad called the white haired man beside him in his forties Jiraiya-chan and lectured him like a grandfather. After he congratulated Minato, he handed over a small pack, which held a short-sleeved long white coat with flame patterns on the edges with bright red kanji running down the center of its back, shouting and announcing who the man is from miles away by the words 'Yondaime Hokage'.

Toroku thought back to the endless teasing that Minato received from him and Kushina when he had started wearing that coat. He almost chuckled, but he restrained himself when in the distance of the never ending grass field, he finally spotted the post.

They reached the border quite fast just as last time, it didn't even take a day, however Toroku could feel the strain in his muscles this time. They slowed down before the guards became suspicious and now they were slowly walking toward the bunker. A shinobi jumped down from the flat roof, eying them suspiciously, then his eyes wondered toward Toroku and Jiraiya and he let out a weary and relieved sigh.

"I'm glad you arrived Jiraiya-sama." The shinobi bowed and smiled at the white haired man.

"You are careless. What if we were Iwa forces under a henge?" The ninja slowly shook his head and chuckled.

"The chances are minimal and I doubt that any of them would dare transform into _you_. Especially not to Toroku-san."

The teen raised an eyebrow and carefully eyed him from head to toe, but he couldn't identify the man, he never met him before. In the end, he just shrugged to himself and counted that to Minato's fame. The man waved a hand to follow him and they stepped inside the sparse facility. Toroku unconsciously expanded his senses to map his surroundings. He felt three more shinobi around the post, one on the rooftop, one outside and one more inside. Jiraiya turned toward the shinobi.

"Anything we should be aware of?" The shinobi shook his head in response.

"Nothing happened during the last week. Everything seems peaceful. Only some patrolling Iwa troops passed the post from a distance, but they didn't show any belligerence." Jiraiya nodded and hand over a scroll to the shinobi, who accepted and stowed it inside his pocket.

"I'll escort you around. When you settled down we'll leave. I can't wait to finally sleep in my own bed." Jiraiya chuckled and placed a hand on the ninja's shoulder.

The man quickly, but efficiently showed them around and they finished on the roof where the remaining of his team already waited for them, packed and ready to leave. The shinobi pointed toward several parts of the landscape where they would find the sensing seals; he also asked Jiraiya to place more on other places of the ground. After a half hour long report he finally nodded to himself in satisfaction and they left to head back to Konoha.

Jiraiya turned around to face the team, pointing toward Kakashi and Toroku.

"You'll take the first round for the watch post. From now on, we will work with twelve hours rounds. Be alert, we may be nearing peace, but you never know." The boys nodded, and Jiraiya pointed toward Toroku.

"Send out some clones and check those seals. Maybe you could upgrade them a little. They're barrier seals after all."

Toroku nodded and grinned as fifty clones appeared beside him, and dissolved in every distance of the compass. The sennin only rolled his eyes, muttered about swanky teens while he and Rin moved back to the establishment to rest before they would take over for the boys. Toroku had laid down in the middle of the roof and crossed his arms behind his neck and started to watch the night sky. An angry snort echoed on the roof and Kakashi moved next to him with dangerously narrowed eye.

"What do you think you're doing?" Toroku didn't move only his eyes turned toward the jounin.

"Guarding the post." Kakashi kicked his leg, forcing Toroku to sit up and meet his angry eye.

"This is not a game you know!" The blond let out a sigh.

"I sent out fifty clones, and they already started to apply more security seals on the borderline. I've got better senses then you, or Jiraiya, so just relax. Nothing is going to happen." The jounin didn't answer, only moved to the edge of the roof and moved his eyes to the forest belt. Toroku let out a sigh and moved next to the jounin.

"Look, I know why you're like this. But calm down. We're well prepared." Kakashi only blinked and didn't avert his gaze, but after a long minute he hesitantly nodded.

"I'm a little tense."

"I noticed that."

"I hate to be near the Iwa borders."

"I know. And Aniki also knows. I think that's why he sent us here." Kakashi didn't answer only clenched his hands into fists.

"I also figured that out, but this is a sour medicine Minato gave me…and Rin."

"Don't think it is easier to him, sending out his comrades and his friends to missions where they could be killed." Kakashi slowly shook his head.

"I don't think that. And we also know that. We are shinobi." Toroku rolled his eyes and let out a sigh before he moved to the other side of the roof and sat down, this time to properly do his guarding role despite his fifty clones running around the post.

* * *

The days were moving with the speed of a snail, nothing had happened in the last three days. The most interesting event was when one of Kakashi's summons chased a fox away from the post. Toroku sat on the edge of the flat roof, his legs flung freely over the edge, while he was watching the forest belt. He closed his eyes and extended a thin layer of chakra in the clearing, watching any tweak in its flow, but nothing came. He let out a weary sigh and glanced over his shoulder toward Kakashi, who had sent out one of his freshly trained ninken to patrol.

Toroku really like the dog, even though their first meeting hadn't ended tenderly. Sometimes he still felt the sharp fangs of the small pug around his ankle and the small pooch still couldn't explain why he had done that. However, maybe it was just because he couldn't talk properly yet; aside from the limited vocabulary that Kakashi had already taught to the mutt, he mostly just barked. Just then, said small ninken re-appeared in the high grass at the horizon, drawing a thin, straight line toward the tower in the vegetation.

"Pakkun finished his patrol." Kakashi nodded and moved next to the blond and leaned over the edge to eye his small comrade as he was approaching them. The dog hopped onto the vertical wall and easily ran up to them and sat down, panting heavily. He looked up Kakashi with his sparking, intelligent eyes frisking his tail lightly. He was still young, still in the beginning of his training; he hadn't yet developed the stamina for a long run or to take part in a real fight. He just wasn't that type, but the pup was almost as stubborn as Toroku and had an exceptional nose which could rival his own.

"Anything?" Kakashi asked curiously, waiting for Pakkun to catch his breath. But the small dog only shook his head. Kakashi nodded and dismissed the dog, who disappeared in a puff of smoke after a nod toward the blond boy. Toroku stretched his limbs and yawned before he settled down to his previous place on the edge of the roof again.

"Hey Kakashi. What have you been doing with Jiraiya lately? I mean with those scripts."

The jounin's only visible eye twitched and Toroku could swear that the edge of his ears turned flaming red in the dark night, however his face didn't give away any further reaction, nor did he answered the question. Only waved a hand to the blond and turned his back on him and tensed his shoulders. The chuunin raised an eyebrow than shrugged, but the curiosity never left him. He would have to investigate that a little latter. They stayed in silence for long minutes until Toroku rubbed his burning eyes and let out a weary sigh, yawning again for maybe the hundred times in the last hour.

"You should speak with Rin." The blonde glanced toward his companion with a confused face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm perfectly fine." The jounin turned back with narrowed eye after a doubtful snort left his nose.

"Yeah, sure. Except you haven't slept six hours in total since we arrived here." The blonde's eyes twitched in irritation.

"Don't spy on me!"

"I'm not spying on you. I just sleep next to you. I'm neither blind nor deaf."

"I'm alright."

"No, you are _not_ alright. You're exhausted and the only reason you haven't dropped from fatigue is the soldier pills you eat when you think nobody is watching. If you don't speak with Rin, I'm going to speak with her. And believe me, it would be better if you go to her and not vice versa. She will still yell your hair down from your head, but maybe she could help and give you something to stop those nightmares." Toroku visibly flinched, but in the end let out a long, weary breath and closed his eyes. His mind almost immediately started to become numb and he couldn't deny it anymore. He was truly exhausted to his very core.

"Okay. I'll speak with her when she's awake." His voice was faint, but Kakashi nodded in his satisfaction.

Toroku suddenly stiffened, and a shiver ran across his spine. He looked around, and immediately expanded his chakra from the rooftop, earning a confused and worried expression from the jounin whose muscles instantly tensed, ready to react if necessary.

"What?" Kakashi whispered toward Toroku, who closed his eyes, frowning, then shook his head.

"Nothing. Nothing is out there." Kakashi frowned, when five clones appeared next to the blond and jumped down from the roof and ran toward the forest line.

"Just a precaution."

The jounin moved next to Toroku and revealed his left eye under his Hitai-ate. The tomoes started to whirl slowly as he moved his sight over the landscape, looking for any hint of chakra inside the woods beside the seals. Finally he nodded and replaced his forehead protector, but he didn't relax his tensed muscles.

* * *

The two teens stayed in full alert for hours, but only a lonely deer appeared from the forest and slowly moved to the middle of the clearing than left after half hour as silently as it came. Toroku let out a weary sigh. He felt as his eyelids became heavier as exhaustion started to take over his body and his brain. He shook his head to ease away the weariness, with little success. A strange feeling never left him, despite the fact that he'd expanded his senses to the maximum where he wouldn't go insane from the normal sounds and scents of the nature around him. He let out a weary sigh as he moved to the edge of the flat roof. A blond clone popped up next to Kakashi.

"I'm going out for patrol. He will report if I find something."

The young jounin nodded and moved closer to the edge to watch as his blond comrade landed gracefully in a crouch and ran toward the edge of the woods after several blond heads popped into existence around him, dissolving into different directions of the woods. A nervous frown appeared on his face, his muscles tensed unconsciously when the last golden crown disappeared from his sight.

* * *

Toroku jumped down from a branch, landing in a crouch in a small clearing, and slowly moved closer to an ancient old, giant oak tree. He ran through a short chain of hand sings and gently placed his palm on the raw surface of the tree. A complex, ink black spider web pattern appeared on the small clearing, made by kanji, symbols, curves and straight lines. The blond chuunin leaned closer to the center of the pattern, forced it to glow with a tiny amount of chakra and examined it carefully, looking for anything suspicious on the predominant seal which controlled all the other ones along the borderline in this district. Toroku let out a weary sigh and rubbed his burning eyes. _'I really need nice a long nap…'_ A clone popped into existence.

"Tell Kakashi that I'm going to check the last two of the control seals. I will be back in half an hour at maximum."

The clone nodded and disappeared with a loud puff, breaking the complete silence in the ink black night. The memory of his previous command immediately appeared in his head. At that very moment he felt dizzy and had to lean on the large tree for support, than shook his head to ease away the feeling._ 'I'm more exhausted than I thought.'_ Something started to nag at the back of his mind, but he didn't have time to react as he heard a muffled thud then immediately felt a small sting in his neck. His head started to spin with a force he never felt before. His knees give up and he fell to the ground limply, his brain still worked but he couldn't focus his thoughts, nor his chakra to warn the others.

He dimly saw a movement from the corner of his eyes and distantly realized that his clones had disappeared, but his dizzy and continuously spinning brain couldn't process the memories. He struggled, forcing his brain and muscles to work, forcing his eyes to focus. A foot in ninja sandals shrouded his vision and his eyelids started to give up the fight with the gravity. A distant urge reached his raw mind, screaming desperately to move his body, but he couldn't even twitch a finger. He drifted to the blackness of unconsciousness, while the screams in his mind slowly died down.

* * *

Kakashi glanced toward the clone, who stoically sat on the edge of the roof, his legs hanging in the air. The clone suddenly stiffened and turned toward the young jounin.

"Message from the Boss: He is checking the last two control seals and he will be back in half an hour." The jounin nodded and turned his head toward the woods again.

He saw a sudden faint glow from the corner of his eyes. His muscles moved unconsciously, snapping his head in the direction of the light, when he felt a faint stinging sensation in his neck. The last thing he could note with his numb mind was a muffled puff as the clone disappeared before he lost consciousness not even a second after the sting in his neck. He couldn't even feel the pain of his head connecting with the rooftop with a muffled thud.

* * *

They were moving. He felt it vaguely, but he couldn't open his eyes. He felt dizzy, still unable to focus his thoughts. The last bits of his rational mind were desperately struggling to reach for his chakra, but his aggressively spinning brain made all attempts in vain. A moan left his mouth as his body jerked when the one who was carrying him landed hard on a branch, forcing his lungs to discharge the air from his limp body. In the back of his mind he realized that they had stopped, at least he couldn't feel the wind in his blond locks or on his skin anymore. He dimly felt as his eyelids started to twitch by the strain of trying to open them.

"He's gaining consciousness again. Give him another dose." He was harshly dropped to the ground.

"He already got a second one. A third could kill him." A satisfied snort reached his ears, but he could process the previous sentence for several long seconds.

"That would be a relief." He attempted to force his desperately screaming muscles to move, and he was finally able to open his eyelids halfway. The only thing his spinning brain recognized after long seconds of delay was two hexagonal patterns on a metal plate which occupied his vision as the ninja leaned closer to him. Iwa.

A dim sensation of stinging pain reached his foggy mind and his vision started to become darker again. He barely recognized a needle in the straightening shinobi's hand, before he drifted back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Kakashi felt a hand on his shoulders and a warm sensation run through him by healing chakra, then someone shook him violently. He let out a groan, and forced his mind and body to work. After a long minute, he finally managed to open his eyelids halfway. His dizzy eye met two pair of worried ones above him.

"Finally." He shook his head and forced his aching muscles to sit up with the help of Jiraiya.

"Wha-what happened." The jounin blinked and jerked his head to the side, sending another fuzzy feeling through his abused brain.

"Where is Toroku?" Rin and Jiraiya shared a worried look, and the white haired man finally shook his head.

"You were ambushed. I still don't know exactly how, but they took him. They must be about half an hour ahead. We are lucky I came to check on you." Kakashi wanted to jump to his feet, but he faltered and would have landed flat if Jiraiya hadn't caught his arm. He shook his head again, and this time he was able to stand straight, leaning on the sannin. He felt as his inside twisted with the urge to get rid of his last meal, but it fortunately died down after two deep breaths.

"We have to track them down." Kakashi stated with a cracking tone while Jiraiya examined the teen and nodded when he finally straightened, letting go of his hands as his foggy vision started to clear.

"Indeed. But we can't leave the post without guard. We'll have to split and our forces will decreased drastically. Those who took Toroku weren't green horned shinobis. They managed to sneak up on him." Kakashi nodded.

"He was exhausted. Otherwise that would just be impossible. But who?" Jiraiya nodded.

"They were only after Toroku. Maybe they want to use him as political pressure. I could imagine this kind of thing from that old geezer Onoki." Jiraiya rubbed his temple, forcing his brain to work harder.

"Rin, you will stay here with one of my summons. But first we'll need your every skill; I need Kakashi to chase them since they didn't get far." The girl nodded and sent a worried look toward Kakashi, whose sight still seemed to be a little foggy.

"Kakashi. We don't have time. I'll need your tracking skills." The boy nodded and ran through a chain of seals, to summon Pakkun.

* * *

"Why didn't we get rid of the others? Killing one of Konoha's sennin would be a great effort from Iwa toward the other nations."

"Our mission was only to get that sissy. And don't think that getting rid of one of the Sennin would be a piece of cake. This time no killing, it doesn't matter how bad you, or I want it. The Tsuchikage wants him alive."

"Yes Commander." A defeated voice reached Toroku's mind. His brain was still foggy and dizzy, but at least he could sense his chakra this time.

"Shouldn't we give another shot to the Sissy?"

"He's already received enough to knock out an elephant… However, he's been too still in the last half hour, not like before."

Toroku didn't move. He felt that his hands were tied tightly behind his back and his ankles together, and he could smell the metallic scent of his own blood as the razor sharp wires cut into the soft flesh of his wrist. His captor threw down his body roughly to the hard soil again, but he forced himself to bear the pain as his head met with the hard ground with a muffled thud. He forced his body to relax and lie limply.

He started to hear muffled voices around him more clearly ten minutes ago, but this time, when he started to come out of the darkness, he focused with every nerve to stay still and limp on the shoulder of whoever was carrying him away from the post.

Toroku felt a sharp object graze across his lying shape, but he forced his nerves to calm down and stay still, despite his raising panic. He heard muffled footsteps, and a soft breath on his arching neck as one of the Iwa shinobi leaned closer to examine him closely._ 'Not good, this is not good.'_ He suddenly felt a foot stamp painfully into his stomach and he heard the guttural laughter of a man after it.

"That isn't part of our mission." The baritone barked toward Toroku in a commanding voice, probably addressed to the one who kicked him.

"Commander, he only gave him what he deserves." A higher voice could be heard, probably a kunoichi, while the commander snorted in displeasure.

"Give him another shot, just for precaution. We have to reach the borders as fast as possible."

Toroku dreadfully forced his brain to focus, and when the man finally stepped away, probably to get the needle with the drug, he knew this will be his only chance to act before he was forced back into unconsciousness again. He desperately reached toward his pathetically shaking chakra and, with effort beyond what a normal human could exert, he forced it to flow through his coils.

His eyes snapped open and a satisfied smirk appeared inside his still dim mind when he saw a foggy picture of a man flinching a step back in surprise as his mud brown eyes locked with foggy azure blue ones. Four shadow clones popped into existence in front of him, barricading him from the shinobi with their bodies. The clones looked weary, their minds also dizzy and hazy, while their limbs were trembling violently with the effort to even stand straight.

"Impossible…" He distantly heard as one of the Iwa shinobi whispered in disbelief. One clone wobbled a step back and popped out of existence when he suddenly dropped to the ground.

Toroku forced another wave of chakra out of his body and a clone appeared crouching next to him and immediately started to cut the wires around his joints with a sharpened wind chakra. The blond hissed when the trembling blade cut deep into his ankle. Finally the last wire was cut, but before he could move the Iwa nins shook off their surprise and jumped into action. The blond chuunin pathetically, but still quickly rolled to the side to evade the exploding spikes from the ground under him, dispelling his clones immediately. He forced himself on all fours, panting heavily by the strain, feeling like an animal driven into a corner. His cerulean orbs flung from shinobi to shinobi, desperately trying to catch his breath after that small movement.

The four Iwa nins slowly approached him, ready to swing into action. One of them already had a needle in his hands, ready to push him back into unconsciousness. He slowly moved his hand onto his leg, to get a kunai from his pouch, but he realized that it was gone. His eye twitched in irritation, but his hands traveled back toward his still secured headband without a pause in the movement. He dimly saw as the four shinobi jumped toward him, most of them already forming several hand seals. His sight became foggy again, his mind started to spin and with his last resort, he finally found the small paper tag hidden behind the metal plate and slammed it to the ground after he channeled some chakra into it. Then he fell limply to the ground as his trembling joints gave up the fight with gravity.

Toroku blinked rapidly, shook his head and slowly opened his eyes to glance toward the foggy silhouette of four frozen shinobi on the other side of a small, wobbling purple barrier. He forced himself onto his hands and knees, panting unstoppably and forcing his limbs to move into a sitting position. Toroku slowly closed his eyes while he distantly heard punches and kunai clinging on the outside of his wobbling barrier. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The barrier wouldn't last long with this wretched chakra control, but at least he could gain some time to gather himself and think of a plan. He felt a vibration under him, as an attack reached the lower part of the barrier, buried in the soil. He shook his head to clear his mind, however with little success, and he finally fixed his gaze on the purple glow of the barrier. His vision became clearer, the silhouettes sharper, and the spinning of his brain died down to a more tolerable level.

Four Iwa shinobi snarled at him, probably emitting a large amount of killing intent. Fortunately the barrier intercepted it; he doubted his body would be able to tolerate it. Toroku couldn't surpass the temptation and he sent a cocky grin toward one of them, earning a narrowed gaze from the largest member of the team from Stone.

"Surround the barrier! Don't forget we need him alive."

All Iwa nin moved to the four corners of the barrier without hesitation as Toroku eyed them curiously. Not that he could do anything more in his pitiable state. He pushed himself up to stand on his wobbling legs, leaning onto his knees to help support his weight. His eyes moved toward the commander and he finally straightened himself, reeling a little from the effort, and forced more chakra into his fading shield.

The shinobi's eyes shined victoriously as the purple barrier wobbled and a crack appeared on the side after a long ten minute staring contest. Toroku slowly turned his head toward the crack and narrowed his eyes, while forcing his still trembling chakra to flow smoother. His limbs felt like they were made of lead and every little movement sent pain toward his weary brain. He moved his arms together and crossed his fingers, preparing to perform his signature jutsu, when his barrier collapsed. Normally, he wouldn't need to use any hand signs for that, but now he needed every bit of help with his wobbling chakra to perform any kind of jutsu. He was lucky the first time to be able to make those five pathetic clones, and they were even solid and useful.

Another crack appeared above him and he tensed his aching muscles. The four Iwa nins moved to stance, and also started to form hand sign, preparing to attack when the seal faded away. A small purple shard fell on his shoulder and when it touched him, the barrier collapsed into millions of pieces and disappeared when they reached the ground. The four shinobi took that as the signal and jumped toward him.

* * *

"Near!" A barking voice echoed in a clearing.

A silhouette of the white haired sannin ran through the clearing inside the forest, the trees spotted with giant mushrooms, with a small mutt in his hands. The man's form blurred by the insane speed while they were traveling. The heavy breathing of Kakashi could be heard only meters behind him as they rushed with insane speed deeper into the dark woods.

"I won't let it happen again…" Kakashi muttered to himself between two harsh breaths and he forced more chakra into his legs.

* * *

Two clones appeared next to him and grabbed his still crossed arms to throw him out of the way of the four Iwa nins. He landed hard on his back, carving a long straight line into the ground where his body slid through the hard soil. A painful groan left his mouth and he could only roll to the side, before a chakra boosted fist slammed where he was a blink ago. He rolled further and moved to a pathetic stance, almost falling back. The four shinobi appeared around him and jumped into action immediately.

Toroku struggled between the punches for several long minutes, and he could taste his own blood inside his cracked mouth. His only real success was when he managed to destroy that damn needle. He fell to the ground from a well-placed hit on his temple and the world suddenly become soundless, except a sharp whistle, while dark spots danced in his vision.

The teen struggled on all fours in the middle of a mud puddle created by an earth release, while the Iwa nins tried to catch him. He desperately shook his head to easy away the whistle and gain back the focus in his eyes, but before it happened a familiar foot kicked painfully into his stomach again, forcing out every bit of air from his lungs.

He fell back to the ground on his stomach with a disgusting splashing sound as his body hit the mud. He turned his head and tried to open his eyes, however he couldn't open the left one. He couldn't move. He never felt so weak, so vulnerable…so defeated. A harsh voice was continuously screaming inside his head, to get up, to fight, sometimes even teasing him, how sick and pathetic he was. Toroku hardened himself and slowly moved his hands under his chest to push himself up one more time.

"Give up and just stay still. Don't make this harder than necessary." He heard a harsh baritone voice whisper into his ear and he felt a rough hand on his shoulder. An animalistic snarl left his mouth at the unpleasant feeling.

"I-I'm s-stubborn. I'll n-never give up!" A foxy grin appeared on his face unwittingly, while he heard his own cracking, but determined voice from a distance. He tensed his aching and heavy muscles to shove the man off of his back, before he could be knocked out, when he heard something in the distance. He blinked in surprise.

Birds. Birds were chirping continuously. Not one, not a dozen…hundreds, maybe thousands of chirping birds could be heard from everywhere. His left shoulder started to ache painfully, like someone had stabbed him with a knife and twisted it, but he only managed a painful groan.

The spinning feeling reappeared in his brain while he distantly sensed that the dark night was starting to glow an azure blue while a familiar scent forced its way into his nose, suppressing the metallic scent of his own blood mixed with the wet soil and mud around him. He didn't sense anything else, only the chipping of a thousand birds around him, and flashes of blue. Four small furred paws appeared in front of his blurry eyes, distant yelps and explosions forced themselves into his raw ears. He turned his head slowly and looked into a pair of chocolate brown worried eyes of the small pug.

"Pak-kun." The pup nodded and started to bark loudly next to the blond, who forced his eyes shut by the irritating and loud voice. He heard as someone landed in the mud next to him and he was finally able to open both of his eyes and turned his head toward the white haired man.

"T-took you l-long enough. You s-stopped at a bath?" A cocky grin spread across his face and the sennin couldn't help but smile back softly.

"Stay there Gaki and don't move." Toroku snorted and let out a small chuckle, when Jiraiya disappeared, jumping into the middle of the fight around them. A minute later a clone of Kakashi jumped next to the blond, who already started to struggle himself up.

"N-nice jutsu y-you got. Where d-did you learn?" The clone had chuckled awkwardly and helped him to sit up. The blond shook his head and split out sidelong some blood, then leaned on Kakashi to straighten himself on his wobbling legs, coughing to clear his throat.

"They gave me something…I don't think I can help. My chakra system is messed up totally." The clone nodded.

"Can you stand alone?"

"I'm not _that_ pathetic you know." He sent a foxy grin to the clone, who rolled his two visible eyes and nodded before he jumped after the sannin into battle.

* * *

Jiraiya held up one of his hands to stop Kakashi from rushing forward where the four Iwa nins surrounded the obviously woozy Toroku. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at the sight as Toroku was wobbling on his legs, desperately trying to defend himself. The four Iwa shinobi were using only low level jutsu to capture him, and taijutsu to knock him down.

Toroku was obviously able to free himself. Jiraiya gestured to Kakashi to the right with his head and put the small mutt down on the ground. The jounin nodded and without a word he positioned himself next to the group, he immediately uncovered his sharingan and glanced to the sannin, waiting desperately for the sign to jump into action. The sannin slowly ran through a chain of hand sings and nodded to the jounin. Lightning chakra encompassed his fist and quickly surrounded his arm almost to his shoulders. The familiar voice of a thousand chirping birds echoed in the clearing, forcing the Iwa shinobi to freeze when Kakashi burst out from his hiding place with insane speed. His attack cut deep scars into the ground where the lighting chakra plunged into the soil as he dashed toward the large shinobi leaning above Toroku's laying form, ready to knock him out with the back of his kunai.

He shot his hand toward the Iwa commander and felt as his hand plunged through the man's body, straight into to his heart, before his body melted away into a pile of mud. Kakashi dismissed the mud clone, turned, and leaped toward a kunoichi who had already started forming hand seals without a pause in his motion. He jumped and slid across the mud to strike her from behind, but his hands didn't reach her. A stone wall appeared between them, but Kakashi didn't bother himself to stop. He used the wall, and leaped toward the caster from it.

Jiraiya stayed in his hiding spot, watching the enemy's reactions carefully, as Kakashi rushed toward the commander of the team. A half smile ran across his face, and he jumped into the battle forming one single hand seal, rushing toward an empty spot.

"Ranjishigami no Jutsu (Wild Lion's Mane Technique)!"

His hair suddenly expanded, hardened and exploded into the ground, forming a wild, lion like snarl. The sannin narrowed his eyes, and with another seal his hair dragged out a giant shinobi from the soil. The lion like fangs had bitten hard into the shinobi's shoulder, drawing small crimson lines of blood on his brown flak jacket. He released the jutsu and his hair moved back to its original form. Jiraiya made another hand seal and a shadow clone jumped toward Kakashi to provide backup with the other three Iwa jounin. Jiraiya already recognized the man in front of him, and he would be a hard nut to crack. He hoped Kakashi could handle the others since he had to face the second Commander of Iwa's shinobi forces, Kitsuchi.

The man narrowed his eyes and glanced toward his comrades from the corner of his eye. The sennin utilized the opportunity and immediately jumped toward the man, landing a hard punch to his temple to knock him out in one shot. A painful grimace ran through the sage's face as his fist connected with solid rock instead of hard bone. The commander's right fist became encased with rock and he swung his punch toward Jiraiya in response. Meanwhile, Jiraiya ran through hand seals and his hair immediately expanded, surrounding the sannin's form with sharp spikes of the Hari Jizō (Needle Jizō). A countless number of sharp needles shot toward the commander, who jumped backward and ran through numerous hand signs in midair, slamming his palms onto the ground when he landed.

"Doton: Doryuheki (Earth Release: Earth Release Wall)!"**  
**

A mud wall appeared in front of the commander and immediately hardened, deflecting the sharp needles. Jiraiya didn't waste any time, he jumped above the wall to release a fire technique toward the commander.

* * *

Kakashi distantly sensed the clone of Jiraiya as it hopped down next to Toroku to check up on his condition, while he was occupied with the other three ninja. He heard the cracking voice of the blond, then he felt the same clone jump next to him.

"How is he?"

"Disoriented, probably drugged, beaten and cocky. He'll be ok." Kakashi nodded and crossed his fingers to create a shadow clone for himself. He nodded toward the blond and the clone jumped to Toroku.

"It's time to get serious." Kakashi nodded his approval and shot out toward the Kunoichi in front of him, drawing out his short katana while Jiraiya's clone jumped toward the remaining two Iwa nin.

* * *

Jiraiya was finally able to single the commander with a fire release, who was continuously hided underground during their fight. He glanced toward where his clone and Kakashi were fighting with the remaining Iwa jounin. The sannin bit down his fingertip, summoning a man sized stoic looking green toad with a katana on his back.

"Gamahiro, I need some backup here." The toad blinked, looked around and immediately jumped into stance at the sight of the charging Iwa commander. Jiraiya flinched when his clone disappeared by a spike from the earth and his memories of their fight poured back to him, the charging Kakashi and Toroku leaning against a tree trunk to support his weight in the background. A violent scream echoed in the clearing as Kakashi slammed his hand onto the ground and sent a Raiton: Jibashi_ (_Lightning Style: Earth Flash) jutsu toward the remaining Iwa shinobi.

The commander froze in space as he turned to see his last comrade fall limply to the ground with an inhuman shout. He immediately turned around and charged toward Kakashi and Toroku, his hands forming seals with blurring speed, while he simply jumped over the stunned toad. He leaped into the air and slammed his hands onto the ground sending his last bit of chakra into the soil.

"Doton: Sando no Jutsu (Earth Release: Mountainous Earth Technique)!"

The earth cracked in half between the two young and weary shinobi, and two enormous rock formations appeared in order to close around and smash them to pieces. Only the sannin's quick reflexes, shooting white hair forward to push them out of the technique's range, saved the two boys from becoming as thin as a pancake. A defeated roar left the commanders mouth as he fell to his knees, his body trembling from the strain and the chakra exhaustion. Jiraiya was breathing heavily as he wiped some blood from his forehead while glancing toward the two boys. Toroku limped toward them, leaning on Kakashi's shoulders, until they reached the stock-still laying and panting form of the commander.

"That was a very nasty technique." Jiraiya stated coldly, eyeing the scratches and cuts on Kakashi and the obviously more-aware eyes of Toroku, who slowly lowered himself to the ground to sit down, hanging into the jounin's arm for support.

"What the heck did you give me? It's so damn annoying."

"I'm going to kill you…" Kitsuchi hissed between his teeth, however he wasn't able to move even a finger. He put his last bit of chakra into that last technique and every part of his body felt numb and alien.

"You should know when to give up." Jiraiya stated calmly while he worked to secure the enemy ninja with wires. Kitsuchi's eyes flared with burning hatred, as they moved from Toroku to Kakashi and back.

"I'm going to kill you..." Toroku narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the commander.

"What did we even do to you? Geez. Stone and Fire are in the middle of a peace talk."

"You killed them."

"All of your comrades are alive, they're just knocked out." Toroku stated calmly, while he examined a nasty bruise on his side, hissing when his fingers touched his probably broken ribs. He shook his head again and blinked when dizziness started to appear again in his mind.

"You killed them." The blonde's eyes twitched.

"We didn't kill anyone, so just shut up!" the always-stoic Kakashi burst out as the gathering tension broke his mental walls.

"You were the one, who killed them three months ago! You and your damn Hokage!" The flairs of hatred almost glowed in his eyes as he attempted to lunge toward Kakashi, who narrowed his eyes next to the sannin.

"Hatake Kakashi and your damn Hokage. You were the one who killed my brother-in-law at the Kannabi Bridge! It was you! And your damn Hokage slaughtered my wife on the frontlines on the same day!" Kakashi obviously flinched and he slowly turned his head away from the commander.

"I killed, because if I hadn't then I would have been killed. Same with sensei…We are shinobi." He stated calmly, but the Iwa ninja didn't bother to even listen to the young jounin. His mind became foggy as anger and hatred took over the rational part of his mind, shouting away his pain to the world.

"I hope you remember him! His name was Kakko! Remember his name for the rest of your pathetic life! Kakko! He and his team were sent out to scout! He had black eyes and thick, shaggy brown hair! I hope his two blades made that scar on your face! Life for life! I will kill you, and that blond! Your Hokage took away my wife, and I will take away his relative!" Kakashi's muscle tensed and he narrowed his eyes. A small tremble ran down his spine and he felt rage and hatred rising inside him, bubbling and burning away everything of the outside world, as the realization hit him hard.

"I will remember your brother-in-law for the rest of my life, but not because you told me to." His sharingan glowed dangerously and the tomoes started to spin menacingly. Kakashi suddenly burst forward, his short sword entered to the ground a millimeter from Kitsuchi's throat as the jounin slammed it into the soil. His hands shaking from his emotions, his whole body trembled unstoppably and his sword draw a thin red line on the commander's neck by the movement.

"He killed my comrade! My best friend, the person who I looked at like he was my brother and I didn't even get the opportunity to tell him so! Life for life you said?" Kakashi's voice was ice cold, full of the same burning and boiling hatred as the Iwa nin, which sent chills down Toroku's spine.

"Will it be an equivalent if I kill you?"

"Just do it." The commander narrowed his eyes and split out the word like it was sour poison and in the end chuckled insanely. Jiraiya folded his hands in front of his chest and his eyes darkened as he watched the flames of pure hatred in the eyes both Kitsuchi and Kakashi. The sannin stepped forward, opening his mouth to interfere; but before he could say anything, something inside forced him to stop as he met the azure blue orbs of Toroku. Kakashi slowly pulled out his Katana from the ground to make one more, this time precise, cut with it.

"You'll let him kill you? You'd throw away your own life that easily?" The Iwa nin blinked and a spark of consciousness returned to his haunted eyes and Kakashi stopped his movement. Toroku slowly raised himself from the ground, his legs wobbled as he leaned on his knees to support himself before he straightened and stood above the prostrate commander and the crouching Kakashi.

"And what would happen if Kakashi kills you? Will that bring back Obito? Or maybe your brother-in-law will be resurrected? Or your wife? You know what will happen? I know. Your relatives will swear vengeance on killing him. If they kill him, his friends will go after your relatives. And so on. Hatred only give birth to death whitch in the end will bear more hatred. Only peace can stop this never ending circle."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes while Kakashi eventually calmed down his nerves, which were stretched to the breaking point. His hands never left his katana, but the killing intent he emitted slowly dissipated. Kitsuchi forced his sore muscles to move and turned his head to look up at the blond shinobi. He locked his dark eyes with the cerulean orbs to find sadness on his face and pity in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. You speak of peace. There won't be any peace! There is no such thing as peace!"

Toroku stayed silent for a long minute, carefully examining the haunted eyes of the commander, the eyes, burning with the flames of hatred, melting away everything else as he saw Minato's face despite the differences. A soft smile ran across his features; a soft and caring smile, which only a mother could show to her own child. The Iwa commander blinked in surprise. The smile disappeared from his face and sheer determination replaced it flaring unstoppably in his azure blue orbs like a sapphire inferno.

"There is peace." Toroku's voice was firm, yet soft; echoing, yet still quiet; harsh, but still pleasant like a lullaby.

"I'll break the cycle of hatred. I'll break this curse. If there is such a thing as peace, I'll find it. Believe in me. I won't give up!" Jiraiya distantly felt somewhere that his hands had fallen limply to his side and his lips parted in his surprise and awe. The commander blinked once more in confusion.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Toroku glanced down calmly at their captive, his azure orbs never let go of the determination for a long silent minute.

The silence suddenly broke when the determination disappeared from his face, replaced by his well-known foxy grim. Jiraiya sighed, but a thought never left his mind… a thought from a prophecy, about one of his students. Well, he was actually a jounin-sensei. A sensei of Toroku who was technically his student.

"I'm-"

Toroku suddenly froze. His arms don't move, although he wanted to grab his temper and scream as something cracked in his head and started to burn like an inferno, tearing his brain to shreds, bubbling and melting away his sanity. The pain suddenly stopped as fast as it came and the only thing he felt was sheer exhaustion. He distantly sense his knees give up holding his weight and his body slowly falling to hit the hard. He didn't feel the pain of the impact.

He sluggishly opened his eyes, turning his head as he calmly realized that he had passed out from exhaustion. He was again inside the never-ending sewer in the ankle deep water. He slowly shook his head and stood up. His body almost cheerfully began to march toward his final destination where he would find that damn old rusty door without a handle and in the end he would drown in the ice cold water. But he didn't care anymore. Somehow he felt happy and calm beyond words.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm evil to stop right now. I'm pure evil. But who cares. Hope you still love me.

Next chapter: Door Handle

Until that time: Drumroll please… (Hope you already know what's going to happen) Hey look! There is a next button. See, I'm not THAT evil :) Double upload as a surprise, and to motivate you a little bit, free digital art commission for the one who leaves the 300th review. Ensure that I can contact you here or on deviantart!

**Answers for the probably upcoming questions:**

How can it be that Naruto is powerful but they were still able to capture him? Because he was exhausted. Yes he is strong, but even the strongest can fall if they unconsciously let their guard down.

Kakko and Kitsuchi relation is made up by me. Writer's freedom. Deal with it.


	12. Chapter 12 - Door Handle

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

Applause goes for my precious Beta Reader: **ImaginationJunkie1412**.

**Original upload date: 14/03/2013**

**Last update: NA**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 12. – Door Handle**

"_One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises one makes."_

_ Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

Toroku had been wandering for hours in the empty passages of the corridor, and his feet started to ache. '_Strange. That's never happened before. I know the way. I'm sure. I always go this way.'_ He passed by a burnt out gas-light, but before he left it, he stopped. His hands moved without second thought, he carefully tapped the burner once. Nothing happened. He narrowed his eyes and repeated the movement, and on his third try he was blinded by the yellow light from the lamp. It forced him to step backward, rubbing his eyes as the sudden light painfully stabbed into his irises. When he gained back his vision and the pain finally faded away he looked back at the gas-light with a satisfied smile, before he turned to continue his wade through the water.

He finally arrived at his destination and worriedly glanced toward the rusty metal door with the cracks and bulges. Toroku ran his eyes over the unidentifiable forged pattern, then he looked down to the water, waiting for the thing on the other side of the door to begin its attempt to force itself out and the concrete floor to disappear out from under his feet. But nothing happened for several long minutes. Everything was silent; no snarling, no ruffling, and no sound of impact as that _Thing_ charged against the door.

The blond boy narrowed his eyes, watching the black water around his ankles. A thought reared its head inside his mind. Something…something was different... Toroku narrowed his eyes even more and finally moved his orbs toward the rusty door again. He examined it carefully, centimeter by centimeter, but he couldn't find what was bothering him. Everything just looked the same as last time and as always. He let out a defeated sigh and moved his eyes back to the concrete floor under the water. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the rough edges under his naked feet. He blinked when realization hit him hard and flung his head toward the door, together with his body, almost falling down into the water by the sudden movement when he grabbed the handle. A handle. There is a door handle!

He stayed in the awkward position frozen, not daring to move his body and absolutely not move the handle. He finally shook his head to ease away his worry and slowly leaned toward the door and placed his ear onto the pleasantly hot surface and closed his eyes, concentrating with his every nerve to the sounds behind the door. Everything was silent except the noise of water dripping. Thoughts ran across his mind with insane speed. _'There is a handle. I can open it. I can finally see that thing!'_ As he slowly opened his eyes, the warm sensation from the door increased, teasing him, tempting every part of his body, stroking every nerve inside his flesh to finally move his hands and push down that damn handle. Toroku narrowed his eyes, doubts and worry started to fill his mind.

Suddenly he heard something from his back. Not from behind the door, from his back, only centimeters from his spine. A soft textile ruffled, maybe silk, and the sewer filled with the scent of vanilla. He wanted to move his body, to turn around and his mind pushed away every other thought, only the screaming voice stayed. _'Run! Move you idiot!'_ His muscles tensed, ready to jump when another thought popped up. _'No.'_ His thoughts calmed down to an almost unnatural level. He could now imagine himself falling asleep in his dreams, while he closed his eyes. _'Just run you damn moron!'_ He felt the burdens disappear from his shoulders; his soul settled down, like a lake on a summer day without any breeze to ruffle its surface. _'No.'_ The screaming voice died down to a whimper of fear. _'Why not? You are going to kill me!'_ A soft smile spread across his face. _'Have faith in me. Everything will be alright.'_

With this last thought the sensation behind him died down and disappeared, so did the voice in his mind. He slowly moved his head and glanced over his shoulder, but only the empty tunnel winked back to him. He closed his eyes once more and let out a breath and pushed down on the door handle. It moved smoothly, without a hitch, until it finally reached its final destination and the bolt left the socket. The door is now open. He just has to pull it.

He slowly opened his eyes and pulled it gently toward himself. The tired hinges squeaked plaintively and several small waves appeared on the water's flat surface by the small movement as the door opened a small slit, than stuck on the rough surface of the concrete floor. Toroku narrowed his eyes and gave more strength to the next pull, and the door bumped over a knob on the floor, which tripped its unsteady frame, creating bigger and bigger waves around his ankles. He glanced toward the slit. It still wasn't enough. He gathered his strength and this time tugged on the door with more power. The rusty hinges gave up, and released the wall. Toroku felt as the enormous weight of the rusty door started to fall on him, and in the last second he managed to roll out from under the falling door, which hit the water with a loud splash. The sound of the impact echoed all over the empty tunnels, amplified by the walls and bounced back as reverberations.

Toroku stayed sitting, his legs outstretched and he leaned onto his two arms secured behind his back, out of the way in the shallow water. The blond boy blinked and stared into the newly open passageway with wide eyes.

It was empty.

Empty and perfectly identical to where he was now; the same dull yellow lighting all the way down, the same brick pattern on the walls, and the same pipes running along the ceiling. Toroku narrowed his eyes and straightened to his feet. The sound of the waving water gently echoed toward the new passage in front of him. He moved his legs, and he felt the patterns of the still warm iron door with his bare feet. He slowly and carefully stepped onto it, watching as the small waves of his movement reach the doorframe and beyond it. He made one more hesitant step, then stopped again to stare again at the emptiness in front of him. He let out the air he didn't realized he was holding back and determination ran across his face. His hesitant steps were replaced with confident strides toward the new corridor.

* * *

Jiraiya watched with wide eyes as Toroku suddenly froze, his eyes snapped up, only the whites of them were visible. Kakashi immediately forgot about Kitsuchi and jumped to Toroku when he started to fall onto the hard ground. The jounin gently placed his body down, panic running rampant through his mind, while he started to examine the teen. The sannin crouched next to him to check him, and let out a relieved sigh. _'It's okay. He just passed out from exhaustion. He's sleeping.'_

"What did you give him?" The Iwa nin only blinked, still confused and stunned by the boy's previous statement, but didn't answer. The sannin dangerously narrowed his eyes, still examining the blond teen laying on the ground in front of him.

"They probably gave him a lot of sedative. It's most likely an overdose. But with his healing abilities I don't think it will be a problem. He is just sleeping." Kakashi nodded, relieved, and his tensed muscles started to relax. Jiraiya looked back to the motionless commander, then moved his sight to the laying forms of the other unconscious enemy shinobi all over the field.

"Make sure the others won't wake up." The sannin gathered several sealing tags from his pouch and gave them to Kakashi.

"Here, chakra binding and paralysis seals. Place each of them on their bodies while I notify Minato." Kakashi nodded and moved toward the shinobi after one last concerned look toward Toroku. Jiraiya sighed and summoned a small orange toad, who immediately disappeared after the sannin finished his report to the Hokage. He bit his fingertip once more and this time a much bigger toad appeared who, to Kakashi's horror, simply swallowed the four ninja and disappeared with a loud puff.

"What did you do with them?" Jiraiya turned toward the shocked teen.

"That was a prison toad. They were sent to the Interrogation and Torture Department. Come on. We should take Toroku back to the post. Rin should check on that sedative, maybe she could extract it from his system." Kakashi nodded, while Jiraiya gently grabbed Toroku's limp body and headed back to the post.

* * *

Toroku reached another passageway, this time a different one. The ankle-deep water disappeared and he found himself in a giant hall, which reminded him of a library. The place was filled with giant shelves, stretched out high to the ceiling, slumping under the enormous quantity of books, files, and scrolls. He shakily reached toward the nearest shelve and grabbed one scroll randomly. The blond gasped when he read the title written with clumsy, childish hands and his heartbeat increased. '**Academy Graduation'** He squeezed his eyes shut, to ease away the increasing excitement. _'My memories…'_

He slowly opened the scroll, and an image immediately popped up in his head. His younger self in a bright orange jumpsuit, sitting on a swing sideways. The beams of the sun pierced through the tree leaves, drawing abstract patterns on his slumped form. He was alone… lonely and disappointed… Toroku shook his head, rolled back the scroll as fast as he could and put it back on the shelves like it was burning his skin. He looked down at his hands for a long minute but curiosity surpassed his sadness. He hesitantly raised his hand and grabbed another scroll, this time from a different shelf, and without reading the title he rolled the scroll open.

A new image flowed through his mind. He sat at a long counter, slurping his ramen, together with a pink haired young girl and a raven black haired boy. The same, but younger girl, from his memory. Sakura. That was her name. He gently rolled up the scroll and placed back where it was originally. He slowly ran his eyes over the titles, reading them randomly as he move further and further along the shelves. **'Mission: Wave country'**, **'Chuunin exam: second round'**. He spotted a more-worn scroll than the others. The margins were tufted, the title almost unreadable because of the frequent use. **'Valley of the End'** He hesitantly raised his hand, but he suddenly halted it in midair and shook his head. Toroku turned around slowly, examining the shelves and the enormous quantity of scrolls once more.

He let out a breath and forced his legs to move, finally leaving behind his memories. The blond passed by a much smaller and different pile of scrolls, tidily lined up behind the glass of a separate cabinet. He made a hesitant step toward it, before he nodded to himself and opened the twin glass doors of the show-case and read some of its titles**. 'Rasengan', 'Rasenshuriken', 'Frog Kata'**…

An enormous temptation filled his mind, someone or something calling him, stroking him. The blond slowly shook his head and without touching the scrolls he simply closed the glass doors and continued his way to the end of the hall, toward a giant vault.

He reached it and found himself on the shore of a large patch with soft green grass, tenderly swinging together with the graceful branches of enormous osier trees. The blond boy slowly closed his eyes, and he felt the same type of peace as in the passageway. He heard a soft rustle behind the giant forms of the willow trees, but he stayed still. He felt the warmth of a breath on his skin and a soft smile spread across his face. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked at the sight.

The enormous face of an orange caninelike creature was facing him, his red eyes glowing, and he could see the giant razor sharp canine teeth in its mouth. Despite the scene he didn't feel panic, or fear, or any amount of unease. Only sheer curiosity. The giant eyeballs suddenly filled with irritation and annoyance and the canine narrowed his eyes.

"**I'm pissed off beyond words. Tell me. How should I punish you?" **

"Excuse me?" Toroku blinked in confusion and the giant canine became more irritated.

"**You are unbelievably stubborn."** Toroku scratched his cheeks and a small sheepish smile appeared on his face.

"That is…true. Um, excuse me, but who are you?"

"**I should just ****tear** **you into tiny pieces, Naruto."**

"What did you call me?" The image of a slowly whirling fishcake popped up in his brain and confusion ran across his face, sweeping the obvious threat to the side about his possibly painful death.

"You mean the thing in ramen?" the orange canine slowly shook its head and let out a frustrated snort.

"**Idiot."**

It raised its giant form above him and the blond blinked and stared at its countenance. He frowned and narrowed his eyes after he examined it from head to toe. His eyes twitched as he realized that the canine was actually a fox. A giant orange fox with a lot of…no…nine lazily flinging tails.

"You are a bijuu. You are the Kyuubi. What are you doing in _my_ head?"

The fox let out a sigh and rolled his eyes in annoyance again, than a scary grin appeared on its face. It slowly held out its first leg, the animalistic paw with giant and also razor sharp claws clutched into a fist like position.

Toroku blinked in confusion, staring at the giant orange and furry fist in front of him, which was actually twice as big as him. He glanced up at the fox, who only rolled its ruby eyes again and let out an irritated groan, like an inpatient and furious child, then in the end waited for him to respond while restraining his obvious frustration. Toroku narrowed his eyes and unconsciously clutched his right hand into fist. When he realized what he did, he raised his fist and examined it with a frown on his face than glanced up to the fox again. The canine only nodded, but the irritated and now impatient expression never left its face.

Toroku hesitantly stepped closer, staring at his fist for a long minute, before he finally bump it into the canine's own fist. For a moment nothing happened, then he felt a shockwave ran through the surroundings. The environment around them started to shake violently and the ground quaked under his feet, then it stopped as suddenly as it started. He blinked and stepped back from the giant fox. Toroku raised his head toward the face of the orange canine and a blank expression appeared on his face. After a long minute, staring blankly, he blinked and the emptiness immediately disappeared from his blue orbs, replaced with confusion.

"Kurama…" The fox let out a relieved sight and smirked.

"**Finally."** Naruto made a confused face and narrowed his eyes.

"What happened? We are back in the… How—How is this even possible?"

"**Unfortunately, killing you slowly and painfully will have to wait, because I fear you have got a show to perform. And some small advice: Do **_**not**_** freak out, just go with the flow and play along."** A jumbled expression appeared on his face before he felt a tug from the outside world.

* * *

A groan left his mouth and a grimace appeared on his features when he started to feel the aching in his every muscle. A small and gentle hand moved a tuft of blond hair from his face. He slowly opened his eyes and faced the soft smile of a brown haired girl with two purple marks on each cheek. He blinked in confusion, then the memories about the girl flooded back to his mind.

"Rin." The girl chuckled and stroked away another tuft.

"I'm glad you are back. I was worried there for a second, you looked like you didn't recognize me."

"Well..." He started to sit up, but an aching stab in his chest stopped his movements and a painful hiss left his mouth.

"Slowly. I just patched your broken ribs. It will sting a little." After a long minute he gathered himself and finally sat up in the hard bed.

"What happened?"

"They gave you some kind of sedative. Much more than necessary. You would be in a coma if you and your body weren't as stubborn as you are. I was able to extract most of it. You were out for three hours before I could heal you."

"Hours?" Confusion spread across his face and he blinked in surprise, while Rin chuckled and opened her mouth to answer, but the door suddenly burst open and a silver haired young teen stepped into the room.

"I felt a chakra spike and- Toroku!" The blond blinked and he felt as his mouth fell open at the scene. He stared at the boy for a long moment, then a gentle smile spread across his face, which in the end turned into a wide grin.

"What's up Kakashi_-chan_?" Naruto burst out laughing and had to clamp his arm to his side because a stinging pain appeared due to the relentless laugh forcing his freshly healed ribs to move, not to mention his sore muscles. The jounin frowned and folded his hands in front of his chest in irritation.

"I see. So you are much better now." Naruto forced his mind to calm down but he still couldn't restrain all of the randomly bubbling chuckles.

"Sorry, sorry." Kakashi rolled his eyes, but moved closer to the blond, examining him carefully with his one visible eye. Naruto then noticed a familiar scent and chakra signature and for a moment his heart forgot a beat, as the grinning Jiraiya stepped inside the room. Naruto distantly felt his lips part and his eyes started to sting, a lump forming in the back of his throat, but in the end he restrained the outburst of the overwhelming emotions racing through his mind. The sorrow, the relief, the doubt and in the end, the devastating joy.

"Welcome back Gaki. It started to become boring without you around." Naruto slowly closed his eyes and a soft smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, Jiraiya." The sannin stepped closer with a curious expression. He didn't miss the roller-coaster of emotions on his face and the wave in Toroku's chakra when he stepped inside.

"What is it?"

"It's good to see you again dattebayo." The soft smile never left Naruto's face and Jiraiya couldn't help but mimicked it. _'Dattebayo huh? He spends too much time with Kushina.'_ The blond leaned forward on the bed, crossing his legs and focused his thoughts on the memories of the last three months. It felt strange, like they didn't belong to him.

The memories of the last three months continuously appeared inside his head, and his confusion only increased with each new picture. The irritating feeling forced him to squeeze his eyes shut, and a groan left his sore body. His head was dizzy and his thoughts foggy. A confused frown appeared on his face when he found the somehow distant memory of the attack. When he opened his eyes once again, he was facing five orbs, examining him carefully. Rin moved closer and placed his glowing hand on the teen's head, carefully inspecting his state.

"You should rest a little. A small amount of sedative is still in your system. The next shift will arrive soon and we can head back to Konoha. Sleep and rest until then."

"It's okay, I can help." Naruto moved to get up, but he felt two small hands gently pushing him down back to the bed.

"No, you stay here. We will be fine. The way back to Konoha will be long and I doubt anyone wants to tote your unconscious body." Naruto let out a defeated sigh and finally nodded, sinking back to the bed. At least he could figure out what had happened. Jiraiya nodded and ushered out the two young shinobi, but he stepped back to the bed.

"Everything alright?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, not sure what he was talking about.

"You looked like you saw a dead man when I stepped in." The blond started to chuckle and slowly shook his head.

"Y-yeah…Something like that. I was just relieved to see you in one piece." Jiraiya frowned, watching the teen for a long moment, then left the room after he nodded. The sage slowly closed the door and leaned against it. He folded his arms and started to stroke his chin, thinking about the reaction.

* * *

Naruto let out a weary sigh and his orbs traveled toward the door, where he could still sense Jiraiya's disturbed chakra signature. He suddenly felt very tired, like after a whole day of training with an army of shadow clones and their collective exhaustion hit him when they disappeared. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and let himself sink back to his mindscape to finally figure out what the hell was going on. Sleeping can wait, but this can't.

He dragged himself to the nearest osier tree and slowly sank down to the ground, leaning against the raw surface. Kurama moved closer and laid down in front of him, his giant red eyes still filled with irritation.

"So, what the hell happened?"

"**If you couldn't figure it out by yourself with your pathetic human brain, we are in the past. To be exact, we have got a little more than ten months until your birth." **Kurama stated with an obviously annoyed tone.

"I don't get it. I really don't remember what happened. Are you really sure that bastard didn't get us with his Sharingan?" The fox only rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"**No, I'm certain. Everything feels too real to be a genjutsu. Everybody acts like they used to. It's too real and I already tried to dismiss it."** Naruto shook his head.

"It is still more believable that Madara was able to create something like this, than time travelling. The last thing I remember from the fight with that bastard is that I hit him with my Rasengan, but after that it's just blank."

"**I'm afraid I can't answer that. I also have no idea how on earth this could be possible."**

"You are a bijuu. The strongest of all. How could it be that even you don't know what happened?" Naruto rubbed his head, forcing his brain to work, while Kurama narrowed his eyes.

"Why the hell did I even lose my memories in the first place?" Naruto glanced up to Kurama, still rubbing his head in the hope that it would bring back the memories how the hell they got here. Kurama let out a sigh.

"**You were acting like someone insane back in the hospital, so I thought it would be a good idea to evade some sensitive questions and gain some time. It was easy after you passed out. But as always, you messed up everything."** Kurama let out a frustrated snort and looked away from the confused blond.

"What did you do?"

"**I made a mental barrier for your memories, together with some of your…sensitive knowledge."** Naruto frowned.

"My knowledge?"

"**Just think about how would they react if you started throwing Rasengans, or you used my chakra, or your sage mode? That would just ruin my every effort to stay out from sight after your…little scene in the hospital. But you messed up my plan. You made another barrier by yourself with your idiotic brain."** Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"**I wanted to dismiss the barrier when things calmed down after the interrogation, but you and your stubborn brain were stronger than I thought. I have to admit, I underestimated your will. You were denying your memories and when I was finally able to push something out, to force you to release your mental block, you resisted like an insane every time I tried to break out. And by the way, you locked me up for three long months!"** Kurama barked the last out in anger while Naruto sent an apologetic smile toward the fox.

"Sorry. It wasn't intentional." The blond folded his arms and crossed his legs, concentrating and thoughtfully tapped on his cheek.

"So you mean, when I, or rather Toroku, determined that he didn't want to remember, I made another mental barrier over yours?" Kurama nodded as an answer. Naruto thought back to the fight with the Iwa nins, when he saw the pure hatred in those eyes. In Kakashi's eyes and in Kitsuchi's eyes. Something broke in him. At that very moment he saw again when Ino died, when he tried to give shoulder to Sakura, when he promised her that he would bring peace.

At that very moment, he determined that he would free the commander and Kakashi from the circle of hatred and bring peace.

He understood it now. When he finally accepted his legacy, his memories, he stopped denying and shutting out Kurama's attempts to break out of his barrier. How typical. He was the one who messed up; the one restraining his own memories.

"**Actually you made two barriers..."** The kitsune spit the words out like they were sour poison, and Naruto raised a confused eyebrow.

"**I was finally able to almost dismiss your first one when the me in Kushina reacted to my presence back in Kumo. You were lucky I was able to push out enough chakra to heal your wound, thanks to my other self. That would have been a perfect cover for us. But nooooo...You had to freak out, and lock me up again with that damn second barrier."** Kurama stretched out his spine and placed his enormous head onto his crossed front legs and yawed, while his enormous red eyes flashed dangerously toward the young boy.

"You didn't help me either with that! Geez. You acted like you wanted to tear me to shreds behind that damn door. How on earth wouldn't I freak out? You could've just told me that you were behind that damn door and I would have opened it immediately."

"**You just don't understand how a mental barrier works. It was **_**your**_** projection and not me. When we are finally finished you should go see a psychologist. You are freaky."**

"Like you got any right to complain about that." Kurama turned his head away from him with an irritated "Ch", but Naruto already forgot about the insult and frowned. He'd still have the weekly checkups with Inoichi.

"So we are _really_ in the past?" Kurama only nodded and Naruto made a wondering expression, as the thought finally sank into his mind and he realized what that really meant.

"We can change things." The fox nodded again, watching Naruto as his face moved to an odd grimace by the overwhelming possibilities.

"**You can. But if you change too much, you won't know what will happen. Maybe you already messed up something important."** Naruto nodded in understanding, but the wide grin never left his face.

"There is so much in my mind. But I know one thing for sure. We have to get the real Madara while he is weak. Rin's alive, so Obito must be still himself. If we get to him in time, everything will be all right. You won't devastate Konoha, Mom and Dad won't have to die and…" Naruto froze for a moment. _'They won't have to die. They are alive. They are still alive…'_ A relieved, tender smile appeared on his face, and he slowly raised his hand and touched the place where he remembered Kushina had placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, when they had met for the first time. Kurama rolled his eyes and barked toward Naruto.

"**Erase that idiotic expression from your face! This is serious." **Naruto shook his head and desperately tried to concentrate on their problem.

"So what do you think we should do?"

"**Keep a low profile. I don't think it's a good idea to do that again and shut out who you are. And absolutely not before you've been conceived. I really don't know what would happen to you if that didn't occur." **Naruto furrowed his brows.

"What will we do about Inoichi?" Kurama rolled his eyes.

"**I will take care of that problem." **Naruto narrowed his eyes and suspiciously eyed his fluffy tenant.

"If, you could take care of Inoichi, why the hell did you lock out my memories in the first place?"

"**Because you were acting like an insane and on the verge of going rogue; the others would have killed you. Even the Third was tense. I thought it would be best if you took a long rest until I figured out what we should do. And not to mention, with that small little act from me you gained a new identity. What do you think, how on earth would you answer to the interrogators? You would never be able to deceive them. I just gave you a perfect cover. Plus it was fun. At least for the first two weeks..."** The last part of the sentence died to a frustrated grumble. Naruto couldn't help it and burst out laughing, but he immediately stopped when a razor sharp claw landed between his legs and the red eyes glowed dangerously. The blond gulped and send an apologetic look toward the fox.

"And what did you figure out in the last three months?"

"**Nothing…Because you locked me up and I was occupied with trying to break your stupid mental barriers!" **The bijuu snorted with fury and Naruto choose not to poke him more.

"What if we just tell everything to Jiji. Or to Jiraiya. He trusts me. Minato won't need to know until I'm conceived." Kurama slowly shook his head and he finally removed his fang dangerously close to his legs as a last warning.

"**This Hiruzen isn't the same one you knew. He would immediately send you back for another round of interrogation and I doubt they would be as gentle this time as they were. In this time, he saw you as a possible treat if you didn't notice already. And Jiraiya…You know very well that the only reason he is your sensei now is to take you out if you go rogue. Plus think about it. Would you believe your own story? That you are from the future? Beside it's almost New Year's Eve. You should be conceived soon if you haven't already messed that up."**

Naruto nodded, agreeing, but his heart squeezed when he thought back to the suspicious and cold eyes of the Third. He missed the "old" Hokage. Not this one here in this time, that one who looked at him with care and love. The blond let out a weary sigh and his thoughts migrated toward his parents.

"I think my parents are getting on well." Naruto tilted his head and made a wondering look, earning a disgusted snort from the fox.

"**Don't remind me anything like that. I'm not interested in that kind of stuff."**

"This will be more problematic than I first thought." Kurama nodded and stretched out.

"**Leave now. I'm worn-out. It was a pain in the ass to get rid of your stupid mental barriers."** Naruto nodded, got up and tapped the paw of his orange friend, who let out an irritated snort as an answer. A knowing smile appeared on his face. Kurama would never admit that he was relieved to see him again, moreover happy, but he knew how to read between the lines. _'After all these years and still acting like the frightening kyuubi.'_ Naruto stretched out his arms and let the fox alone, not aware of the small smile that spread across Kurama's face and he let out a relieved sigh.

"**Idiot brat…"** Kurama muttered quietly and turned around to finally get a well-deserved nap.

* * *

Naruto slept for three hours, before he got up, changed his clothes and started to look for the others. It only took a second after he spread his chakra around to find everybody on the roof. He stretched his still aching muscles and headed toward the roof of the post.

"Morning again." The three looked toward him as he dragged himself over the side of the roof and groaned when his sore muscles almost squeak by his movement. _'Kurama. Could you speed up the healing a little?'_

"**I'm sleeping. Bare it. It's not like you will die because of it anyway."** Naruto let out an irritated "Ch.", thankfully no one noticed it.

"How are you feeling Toroku?" Rin moved closer to Naruto, who sat down on the edge and started to massage the aching muscles in his leg.

"Fine, discounting that my body feels like lead." Rin only nodded.

"That's mostly because of the sedative." Kakashi turned toward the blond and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"What happened before we arrived?" Naruto placed his right ankle to his left knee, massaging his calf and frowning while he gathered his thoughts to answer.

"It's a little bit foggy before you appeared, but maybe half hour before you came I woke up. Thankfully they didn't notice it, so I had some time to gather myself. You should have seen their faces when I kicked their asses dattebayo." Kakashi only rolled his eye in irritation.

"You were barely able to stand straight when we got there, so don't draw the long bow." Naruto only shrugged.

"Okay, I made five pathetic clones, they released me, then I agonized behind a wobbling barrier for ten minutes before they beat the crap out of me. Satisfied?" Naruto folded his arms and turned away from Kakashi with a pout, sulking like a kid. Jiraiya watched him carefully and his doubts about him started to ease as he saw the very familiar reaction.

"You've done well." He moved closer and ruffled his blond locks. The sulky expression immediately melted away from his face, replaced with a smile.

"Thanks for coming after me." His three comrades raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer until Jiraiya let out a small chuckle.

"You know, I don't want to think about what Minato would do to me if I had lost you." A cheeky smile appeared on Naruto's face.

"I got some ideas for a proper punishment for you if that ever happens." The blond chuckled and Jiraiya grimaced in annoyance.

"Cheeky little brat." He folded his arms and turned away from the blond, whose chuckle only raised by the childish reaction he missed so much. He finally let out a sigh, watching the back of the sannin with a warm expression until he slowly closed his eyes. _'You will die because of your old age this time. I swear.'_

* * *

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, stood motionless behind the two-way mirror, staring at the unconscious Iwa kunoichi next to the table, leaning against her bonds in the chair. He was surprised that the woman bore the interrogation for this long. She was exhausted and unconscious when the prison toad arrived with them a little more than twelve hours ago. The medics healed her enough to regain consciousness after she was hit by a ration jutsu. She just blacked out again from exhaustion. Minato glanced toward Inoichi, who only shook his head slowly and left the room leaving the kunoichi alone. Only a second after the door closed behind him, two ANBU appeared next to the woman but within the next second they were gone together with the captive. The Hokage turned his head toward the interrogator who stepped inside the observing room.

"She was too exhausted. I didn't have enough time to even reach her memories before yesterday." Inoichi turned toward the worry-filled face of Minato.

"Don't worry. Toroku is okay. I may not have been able to reach her older memories, but you should be proud. He fought hard. Beside some cracks on his pride and some bruises he is okay." A small smile appeared on Minato's face.

"I know. He is strong. But I'm worried...How could this even happen?" The Hokage stared inside the empty room for a long minute, then the leading interrogator Makoto stepped inside the observation room and stopped next to the blond leader.

"Hokage-sama. Inoichi-san could continue with the commander. I'm finished with him. Unfortunately he is well trained. The only thing I could get out of him was his name and his rank. Kitsuchi, second Commander of Iwa's shinobi forces. I think it's time for us to step it up to the next level." Makoto tuned toward Inoichi, while Minato nodded and made a short chain of hands signs. An ANBU appeared next to him, with a light bow.

"Hokage-sama."

"Bring the commander inside." The ANBU nodded and disappeared from the small room without a word.

The Hokage let out a weary sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose with closed eyes, waiting for the ANBU to finally bring the commander. After a long minute of silence, he opened his eyes, watching as the ANBU reappear with the captive, securing him to the chair, and disappear from the room after he finished. Minato slowly turned toward Inoichi and nodded, giving a silence order to the man. The yellow flash of Konoha watched the process with thoughtful eyes, waiting patiently for the interrogator to finish his work.

Minato stayed motionless for a long hour, fixing his gaze on the two men on the other side of the glass. Inoichi finally opened his eyes, and stepped back from the heavily panting captive.

The clothes of Kitsuchi were soaked with his sweat, sticking onto his brawny body. His brown eyes moved toward the mirror, eyeing his own panting reflection while he tried to catch his breath. The Iwa shinobi shook his head to ease away the dizzy feeling in his head.

He fought hard with the interrogator, but in the end he failed and the blond shinobi easily slipped through his defense. His training was almost useless when he faced with the technique of Inoichi, and the chakra bidding seals placed on his weary body weren't helping him either. Numbness started to spread across his mind, he felt the world slip to the side when his head started to spin. The sensation finally died down after a long minute, which felt like eternity, and the commander braced himself and straightened his body.

Minato watched the scene, waiting for Inoichi to finally step inside the observation room and reveal what he managed to learn from their captive. He observed the shinobi in front of him, his fight to stay conscious, almost losing his battle, than in the end he finally straightened with pride in the seat. The interrogator stepped inside the room and the Hokage eyed him from head to toe. He looked obviously weary and exhausted. The Yamanaka clan's technique doesn't require a great amount of chakra, but more continuous concentration and control.

"Report!" Minato stayed professional with his friend. Despite the fact that they'd become much closer after Toroku's sudden appearance, this is a serious situation. The Yamanaka took a seat to gather his thoughts for a short second with closed eyes, before he answered.

"The operation was discreet, only him, his team and the Tsuchikage know about it. However it seems that he received only the most necessary information, which is odd. He is the second Commander of Iwa, a high level shinobi, furthermore the relative of the Third Tsuchikage." Inoichi let out a weary sigh, while a frown appeared on Minato's face. Relative of the Kage…this could mess up everything. Or this could be an advantage. It would depend on how he used his cards. The voice of Inoichi pulled him out of his thoughts.

"It seems the old geezer does not trust him enough to reveal everything about his future plans. They were just operating. What is worrisome, they already knew about Toroku's mission the day our team departed from Konoha. This wasn't just an accidental opportunity they utilized. It was planned well in advance." Inoichi let out another weary sigh and the frown become deeper on Minato's face.

"I'm sorry Minato, despite his heritage they were just small fries. I found nothing who leaked out the information about their mission." Minato nodded, his eyes fixed on the commander inside the interrogation room.

"Take a rest Inoichi. I want a full report when you wake up and a full mind screen tomorrow. Maybe he's still storing some interesting information not concerned with this case." Inoichi nodded and left the room after a bow toward his friend and his respected leader. Minato waited for a long moment and without a second thought, he left the room and entered the one behind the glass tenanting the Iwa commander.

The shinobi stiffened when the Yellow Flash of Konoha stepped inside the room, fixing his azure blue orbs on him, examining him from head to toe. Minato stayed calm, and he slowly moved closer to Kitsuchi with an emotionless face.

A shiver crawled up the commander's spine when he felt the drops of cold sweat slowly run down his back, while he forced his body to move and look up to the man who stood above him. Hatred took over the fear in his weary mind. His dark eyes started to burn with the flames of hate, his face turned into a mask of anger. His dark eyes locked with the azure blue orbs of the feared shinobi, the man who was directly responsible for the death of his wife and hundreds of his comrades. A soundless battle started between the two men. A battle of wills. The one to break eye contact first would lose. The sting in Kitsuchi's eyes increased, but he forced down the urge to blink. His eyes darkened, when the picture of his laughing wife popped up in his mind, replaced by the image of his daughter, the small and fragile form of Kurotsuchi, who will grow up without a mother and maybe…without a father. The dark eyes become haunted behind the flames of hatred, behind the urge of vengeance.

Suddenly the emotionless mask of the Hokage melted away, sadness spread across his face and his ocean blue orbs mirrored only pity toward the captive. Kitsuchi suddenly felt himself back at Kusa, lying in the dirt, his body secured with wires, glancing up to a very similar blond shinobi. The same look, the same sparkle in their eyes, the same pity…

"Did you lose someone in the war?" The Iwa commander flinched when Minato's voice reached his ears and immediately averted his gaze, mentally cursing because of his softness, but the increasing sorrow slowly pushed out his other emotions. They stayed in complete silence for a long minute, before Kitsuchi's weary and cracking voice broke it.

"I did…"

"Then why? Why do you and your Kage threaten the peace between our nations?" The Iwa shinobi stayed in silence. Despite the vicinity of the man who had caused his pain, his suffering, and his mourning for his family, his hatred had simply wilted; the last bit of his burning hatred faded away, leaving him in the deep abyss of sorrow. Kitsuchi forced his emotions to the back of his head, burrowing them deep inside his mind, locking away the picture of his wife, his brother-in-law. He didn't move his head as he fixed his gaze on the streaks and curves of the wooden table in front of him.

"Talking about peace, while your hands are covered with blood…with the blood of my wife and hundreds of others. You and your brother are hypocrites. " Minato stayed silent for a long minute, his eyes fixed on the profile of the commander in front of him.

"We are shinobi. Our hands, our souls are soaked in blood. The only thing that could wash it away and stop the circle of hatred is peace." With this, Minato turned around and left the room without looking back at the confused Kitsuchi.

* * *

Travelling back to Konoha was equal of torture. While they reached the post in one day, the way back to Konoha lasted almost two, because of his sore muscles and messed up chakra system. Kurama wasn't in hurry to heal them completely, and Naruto got the feeling that this was his punishment for locking him up behind those barriers. The feared bijuu, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was sulking like a small kid inside his mindscape, refusing every interaction. Well he couldn't blame him, but it was still annoying to stop every two or three hours to rest at least thirty minutes on the first day, mostly a result of his trembling legs. Thank Kami Kurama came to terms with him on the first night in the forest and after a long hour of pleading he finally started to heal them properly.

Aside from his annoyance at the almost continuous ache in his limbs, he was thankful for the two day delay before he arrived back in Konoha. His thoughts moved back to Sakura and he finally realized that his friends, almost every one of his friend didn't exist here. At least not as he knew them. Kakashi was here, not much different from the adult one. Jiraiya…Well, he was the same wonky pervert he remembered and loved so much. But the others didn't even know about him. Most of them weren't born or even conceived yet. No old friends…

However, there were no insane, megalomaniac, immortal Uchiha and no brainless monsters with ten tails. Only a snake and hopefully a very old and weaker version of Madara, without that annoying ability to rebuild his body countless times.

He shook his head. He would have enough time to carefully think over everything when they reached Konoha. He needed to rest after this mission for sure and it would provide a great opportunity to settle down to plan what he would need to do. And h_ow_.

A sad smile appeared on his face as he watched the back of the sennin in front of him. He slowly turned his head to the right where, at that moment, Kakashi hopped on a branch to jump to another one. The sadness slowly faded away and a grin spread across his face. Seeing his long-dead perverted sensei was a shock, seeing Kakashi as a teenager, maybe around fourteen or fifteen was fun. Poking him continuously was just priceless. A thought started to form in his mind of how he would kick his ass during their next spar, and a devilish chuckle echoed in his mind at the thought. Hmm, how should he get vengeance for the indignity of the thousand years of pain technique? Kakashi frowned when he glanced toward the grinning Naruto.

"What?"

"Nothing, just daydreaming." The jounin narrowed his eyes suspiciously when Naruto burst out laughing with a small evil hint in his voice.

He let out a satisfied sigh and the numb smile never left his face. He was so happy. So calm, relieved, a sensation he hadn't felt for long time. He felt like he found something he lost a long time ago: His old self, his cheerful, big mouthed, joking self. Enormous amounts of thankfulness flushed through him toward someone he'd never even met or known. _'Toroku, Thank you.'_ He just wanted to enjoy this peace around him for a bit more. Konoha was here, with all her pride. His loved ones all alive and he would be sure that they stayed that way, along with everybody he cares for. They will bear a new and better future.

Determination appeared on his face and he jumped forward yelling to the world, punching the air, not bothering himself with the confused looks behind him. He got a second chance and there was no way on earth that he would fail.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

After teasing you forever, beyond your limits, the long awaited moment is finally here. Naruto is back in all his glory. Things are finally going to speed up from this point.

Did you notice that, until now, the door never had a handle? During the previous chapters, Toroku stated countless times that he didn't want to remember, evading his, likely very painful, past. So when something actually triggered it, he fought and surpassed his emotions. Yeah. He messed up…

So…How did Naruto get into the past? I know ;) But for you, that still remains to be seen later. Don't ask, I won't answer. You have to wait until the very end of the story. If I stick to my plan, the story will be around 300 k words in total.

Feel free to point out spelling mistakes. We are humans. We make mistakes.

**Story recommendations:**

**The Journey Home **by** DuckButtFangirl** - The battle has been won, the fight is finally over. Minato and Jiraiya carry an exhausted warrior on their journey home. Family Fic. (A bittersweet oneshot. She got some other good stuff too.)

I'm currently out of other good ones, so I ask for your help.

I'm looking for a fanfic I read long ago, but I don't remember the title or the author. A good old Naruto time-travel fic, where Minato travels to the future when he sealed away Kurama, to a Konoha lead by the Uchiha. He found himself in the middle of a rescue mission to free Naruto, who is a prisoner. I don't remember well sorry.

Oh yeah, and I'm also looking for dimensional hopping fics where Naruto finds himself in a different dimension.

Actually if you could recommend any good story I will be really glad. :)


	13. Chapter 13 - Reunion

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

Applause goes for my precious Beta Reader: **ImaginationJunkie1412**.

**Original upload date: 20/04/2013**

**Last update: NA.**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 13. – Reunion and Visits.**

_Dee Remy_

"_Together we shared a bond not even death would violate."_

― _Dee Remy, There Once Was A Boy_

* * *

The gates. Naruto slowed down, almost stopped, but when Jiraiya sent a raised eyebrow toward him he just grinned back and continued his way toward the two giant wings. A nostalgic feeling raised inside him when he looked toward the small post next to the gate, looking for a black haired chuunin with a bandage running across his face and his ever-present companion with hair held down in front of one eye by his hitai-ate. Suddenly he realized that they couldn't be here because they'd probably just graduated from the academy. He glanced toward the desk and found two shinobi behind it, as per usual, but the scene forced him to blink. A very young, very scar-less and very bored Morino Ibiki faced their direction, at the edge of falling asleep with his head in his palm. A cheeky smile ran across Naruto's face at the sight of the feared interrogator of Konoha. Jiraiya slowly shook his head and moved closer to the interrogator, who finally turned toward them and let them pass after a quick chat.

They reached the Hokage tower within minutes and Naruto became more and more nervous. He was going to meet with his father. _'Okay, I already met with him hundreds of times. No, it wasn't me, it was Toroku who met him. Okay, just calm yourself or they will think you got back your memories.'_ Naruto suddenly stopped and palmed his forehead, cursing to himself, while he heard the chuckle of Kurama in the background. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, but didn't make a comment, however he noted it as another weird act after the incident with Iwa.

They stopped when they reached the doors of the office and Naruto forced himself to calm down when he sensed the chakra signature of his father on the other side of the door. He let out a long breath, but before they could open the door, it burst open and Minato stepped out from it, eying him worriedly, then clutched Naruto's hand and literally dragged the gaping boy into the office, flushing away every bit of weariness by the sudden movement. Naruto looked blankly at his father's narrowed eyes, before sneaking a peek toward Jiraiya who shrugged in response.

"Minato." The Hokage snapped his eyes toward Naruto's confused face and a relieved smile ran across his face.

The blond waved toward the empty chairs and they finally moved to sit down. Minato watched them carefully, one by one. Naruto exploited Minato's focus on the others to carefully examine his living and breathing father. His eyes, his features, his hair, his scent, the sound of his heartbeats but moreover, the warm feeling of his chakra. It felt so alive, so powerful, yet still soothing; harsh, yet childishly playful like a warm spring breeze ruffling his hair teasingly.

He heard the muffled voice of Kurama at the back of his head, but it became more and more distant, until it finally died down completely. His consciousness spirited away from the office, he could only see and smile to the face of Minato. The familiar face, looking back at him like he was…an idiot.

Naruto blinked and turned his head in the office to see that everyone was looking at him with an odd expression, waiting for something from him. He raised his hand and scratched his cheeks and a sheepish smile ran across his face.

"Eh, sorry. I kind of spaced out." Minato rolled his eyes and let out a weary sigh.

"I said that I will need a detailed report from you about what had happened."

"Oh. Okay."

"Are you sure you are all right? You look kind of…I don't even know how can I describe it."

"Musing?" Kakashi offered the word and Minato nodded, while Naruto only scratched his head.

"Well, yeah. I've been feeling kinda funny you know. But I'm okay." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and made a knowing look to Minato who noticed the meaning immediately. The sparkling in his eyes immediately paled, but not to a noticeable level. At least not to anyone who wasn't looking for it, but Jiraiya had seen it. Minato let out a sigh and started to massage his forehead.

"Okay. You are dismissed. Toroku, I'll check on you later. Jiraiya, a minute."

The three young shinobi left the office after a short goodbye, and Naruto glanced toward his father for a last time before he closed the door with a small smile on his face. Minato stood up and moved in front of the desk and sat on the top of it, eyeing Jiraiya curiously.

"I would recommend a checkup with Inoichi as soon as possible." Minato narrowed his eyes to the Sennin.

"Why?"

"He's been acting strange in the last two days while we were traveling. He was too quiet, and he spaces out all the time, even when he's looking at something. Maybe I'm just overthinking it, and I really hope I am. But…Rin also told me something strange. When he first woke up, she thought he didn't recognize her. Plus, when he saw me right after that, I really thought he...I couldn't even place his reaction. I really don't know, maybe it is only because of the sedative, or the after effect of what happened to him, but I suggest you make him an appointment. For safety's sake."

Minato let out a weary sigh and walked to the wide windows of his office eyeing his old team on the square in front of the Hokage tower, watching when Toroku obviously made a poke to Kakashi who angrily tried to snap the blond on the back of his head, but he easily evaded the playful attempt, laughing and pointing toward the young jounin. Minato closed his eyes and let out another sigh, as they disappeared behind a corner.

"Make it so. Talk to Inoichi, I will bring Toroku in half an hour. I want to be there." The Sennin nodded, however Minato still showed his back to him.

"Minato. I really hope this is just my imagination, but if it's not…" Minato's eye twitched, but he nodded, still not showing his face to his once sensei. When Jiraiya finally left the office without a word, he leaned his forehead on the window, resting it on its cold surface in the hope that it would calm his burning thoughts and raising fear.

"Shit…"

* * *

Minato let out a sigh at the doorstep of Toroku's apartment. He could feel the calm chakra signature of his brother inside the small bedroom, probably sleeping, and now he was here to drag him to Inoichi. The Hokage closed his eyes and hardened his own emotions for the sake of the village, than knocked on the pale orange door. He felt a small spike of chakra when the blond finally woke up and he felt as he slowly moved toward the door. He couldn't help it, a warm smile appeared on his face when he faced with two sheepish, blue eyes, under a very untidy mess of blond hair. His eyes were only half way open, still foggy by his dream and a wide yawn left him when he opened the door to Minato.

"Hi. It's not like I'm not happy to see you again, but is something wrong?" Naruto blinked sleepily toward Minato.

"Sorry, but there is something that can't wait." Naruto stretched out his arms and yawned before he stepped out of the way to let Minato enter. Naruto scratched the back of his head, blinking continuously to ease away his weariness.

"I'm really sorry, but we need to visit Inoichi. It's a routine for everyone who has been captured." Naruto blinked and his foggy brain immediately cleared, but unlike Minato's expectations, it mirrored only annoyance and not fear or betrayal. A small web of relief spread toward his thoughts.

"Couldn't we make it right after we had arrived? If you got doubts and think that the Iwa nins messed up something in my already messed up head during their little hospitality why didn't you just say it right then. Man. I really got a sweet dream this time."

Minato couldn't find any inconsistencies, couldn't tell that he was no longer looking at Toroku.

Naruto had little trouble putting on Toroku's cheerful act; he had worn the jolly mask since childhood after all. He had made and started to wear the mask of cheerfulness long ago, even when the only thing he wanted to do was to just crawl into a corner and cry. The ability to put on such an act was so automatic that he could put a real actor to shame. With time, his mask had transformed into real happiness, but if the mask was ever needed, it was easily put into place.

Acting outside his real feelings and putting up a mask to hide his real emotions was one thing. Lying to them was another… Lying straight to Minato's face…He wasn't sure he could do that.

While his appearance showed simple annoyance, his thoughts raced with each other, running through several possibilities as he suppressed his starting panic. _'They know…'_

"**Just play along. I will take care of the rest. If you think they might discover that you're lying just change the subject or act like the idiot you are."**

Naruto restrained a retort, instead he yawned one more time and slowly walked back to the bedroom to grab a t-shirt and pants, pulling them onto his body and walked casually back to Minato.

"Can we use your Hiraishin this time? I'm really not in the mood to drag myself to the other side of the village." The Fourth chuckled as a soft smile spread on his face, he placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and they were gone in a blink of an eye from the empty apartment.

* * *

Inoichi was already waiting a little nervously in the familiar room of the Interrogation and Torture Department, leaning against the wall with closed eyes. When Jiraiya appeared at his home, requesting an out of turn check up on Toroku he felt his heart stopped for a second. He let out a sigh and folded his arms in front of his chest. In the last month he had really befriended the cheerful blond, they even met outside their weekly checkups for a ramen.

To his surprise Toroku was encouraging him when he finally confessed that he wanted to run a small business and his wife continuously suggested a flower shop. It didn't matter how awkward it was that the leading interrogator was interested in flowers, Toroku never showed anything else than some small joke about it. But now…he really hoped it was only a false alarm due to the Iwa scum he'd worked on before. He would really miss the boy if he regained his memories and it pointed toward him being a threat to Konoha.

Inoichi let out a sigh and at that moment the door opened and Minato stepped inside the small room together with the smiling Toroku. Relief ran through Inoichi as he watched the still cheerful teen, calling him Ojisan, waving his hand enthusiastically.

"Toroku-kun, take a seat. I will be fast I promise." The blond nodded, still smiling and just hopped down to the chair and closed his eyes.

Inoichi stepped closer, placed his hands on Naruto's forehead and felt a small vibration as a shiver ran through the blonde's body when he entered the well-known mindscape. The interrogator quickly passed by his basic knowledge without pause to enter the door hiding the boy's memories.

The landscape had changed a lot since his first visit. Unlike his first time in the white Zen garden, his mindscape slowly changed little by little with each visit. For the second time, the sky became bluer. During his third visit he found small blades of green grass here and there, under the soft white sand, stretching out toward the azure blue sky and the puffy clouds. During his last visit, there were several bigger green spots slowly blending together and he was sure with time, the white sand, the ruins of his old memories would disappear under the already slowly growing meadow, spotted with wild flowers.

Inoichi stepped onto the soft grass, watching as it slowly rolled in the warm breeze and the scent of lilies immediately hit his nose. He quickly took in the sight of the green fields, making a note to himself about the fewer and fewer white dunes here and there, and finally moving toward the increasing amount of shelves a little ways from the door. The interrogator walked through a small field, filled with dandelions, his footsteps stirring the white balls and filling the air puffy parachutes as they slowly whirled around his head, playfully circling his body. Just like last time, he ran his fingers through the titles and he let out a breath in his relief he wasn't aware he was holding back, when he found the oldest date in a file. The day they first met.

A smile ran across his features when he left Toroku's mindscape without a second thought to face the curiously shining blue orbs, completely unaware of the small, almost invisible wave in a small spot of the landscape when he dismissed his jutsu.

"It's okay. Nothing is messed up." A wide grin appeared on Naruto's face, but it was immediately replaced with a wide yawn.

'_That's it, that was all you had to do? A genjutsu in my mindscape? Why didn't you just do that in the first place?'_ Kurama let out an irritated snort.

"**You are dense as always. If I'd tried to hide your memories it would have been obvious, and treated you as a threat. That, combined with the fact that you are a terrible liar, meant that that course of action was not an option.**

'_I still don't see why I can't just tell them the truth,'_ Naruto mumbled to himself with a mental pout.

"**Because they would think you are insane, or that you really are a threat. For example, if you just tell them information you shouldn't know, what would be their first reaction? That you are a damn spy. I'm not saying that with time you can't tell them, but now isn't the time. The less people know about you, the safer. If they know what's going to happen, then they're going to act differently and we can throw out our knowledge. That's why I've been telling you to keep a low profile. You could endanger someone's life, even their birth. Your own conception for example." **Naruto nodded physically, maybe a little too fast and the two blond men in the room mistook his movement as if his head dropped by his exhaustion.

"You look tired."Naruto blinked as he registered the room.

"Yeah, I'm gonna drop with fatigue. Can I go back now?" Minato smiled as a great burden lifted from his shoulders and waved to his little brother with a soft, relieved smile on his face.

"Come on, I'll give you a lift." Minato clasped his arm around Toroku's shoulders and they were gone, leaving the blinking Inoichi alone without a word.

The two blonds appeared in the middle of the apartment, and Naruto turned toward his bedroom, to finally get his well-deserved sleep, when he suddenly stopped and turned to the Hokage.

"Minato…" He started softly, eyeing the floor, while the Yellow Flash of Konoha frowned.

"Next time, if your suspicions rise again, just ask me okay? I know I was acting weird in the last two days, but I got a reason for that. You should've just asked. I will never harm you or Konoha." An apologetic expression appeared on Minato's face and stepped to his brother and placed his two hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry." For the biggest surprise, Minato stepped closer and his two hands met at Naruto's back in a tight hug. Naruto froze, his heartbeat increased then finally he let his body relax, almost melt in the arms of his father. He hesitantly raised his own arms to hug back, but the moment was over and Minato stepped backward, releasing him, before he could finish his movement. Only frustration stayed in his mind and not the warm sensation which was there only a second ago. Naruto watched as the softly smiling Minato disappeared from his room. Rubbing his aching eyes with his hands, he let out a weary sigh and turned around to finally fall onto his bed with his clothes on and his mind blank.

* * *

Meantime in the Hokage tower:

Jiraiya paced back and forth between two walls, impatiently waiting for Minato's return with the results. His long, spiky, pure white ponytail swayed on his back with the rhythm of his not too graceful footsteps. The Sannin froze when Minato finally stepped inside his own office, and the Yondaime noted the curious, concerned and demanding eyes of his teacher as he slowly walked toward his wooden desk and slumped into the soft chair. Jiraiya's nerves nearly tensed to the breaking point by the obvious stonewalling, but he mimicked his student and also slumped into the nearest chair with a revived sigh when Minato smiled and nodded.

"His memories are as missing as always. It was a false alarm." Jiraiya let out another sigh, but a frown appeared on his face.

"Then I really don't get his previous reactions and behaviors." Minato slowly shook his head.

"Me neither. But, when I talked with him now, I didn't find any suspicious reaction. Based on Inoichi's report, he reassured me that there is no way a mere human could hide anything from him when entering directly into the mindscape." Jiraiya nodded, but the frown stayed on his features when Minato changed the subject.

"How is the progress with his scroll?" The frown deepened on Jiraiya's face and he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I'm still fighting with the last two parts…"Minato nodded and they stayed in silence for a long minute. Their peace was interrupted a bit when a half smile appeared on Jiraiya's face.

"You know what Minato? When he quoted again from my book at Kumo, I believed in him…" Minato mirrored the small smile.

"Yeah…I know what you mean."

* * *

The first beams of the rising sun slowly stroked his forehead, until it reached the line of his eyes. The eyelids twitched at the uneasy feeling, and his mind started to process his surroundings as the sleep slowly started to fade away and the fog cleared away from his brain. Naruto let out a frustrated groan and bore himself further into the soft pillow to evade the stinging light in his eyes. He stayed motionless for a long minute in a hope to shift back to sleep, but he finally give up. An enormous yawn left his mouth as he turned on his back, stretching out and scratching his belly under the rumpled shirt.

"**I thought you would never get up. Lazy bastard."**

'_How long I was out?'_

"**For sixteen hours. It's almost seven in the morning. I'm bored to death."** Naruto chuckled and send an apologetic thought back to his never-missing companion.

'_I was exhausted…'_ Naruto frowned and sank into his mindscape to talk with Kurama who rested his head on his giant paws.

"We should start to think out a plan." The fox only nodded.

"There are a lot of things we must take care of. Obito is out there, maybe already influenced by that bastard. Nagato may still be himself and Yahiko's still alive. Tsunade is out of the Village…Shukaku may already be sealed inside Gaara in his mother's womb…the other jinchuuricki and the bijuu…Orochimaru…The Uchihas…The Hyuugas." Naruto scratched his face still frowning as he buried himself in his thoughts.

"**We should eliminate Obito and Madara as soon as possible…That must be the first priority. Everything else can wait."** Naruto frowned and sat down in front of Kurama's crossed legs, leaning his chin on his palm.

"**Madara could be anywhere. Maybe far away from the borders. We know only about three times when we could strike. When Rin dies, after Yahiko's death in Ame and your birth. Just leave things as they should be. Our best chance is on the tenth of October. At that time, only Obito will be alive, and he alone is an easier fly to catch than the two together." **Naruto stayed in silence for a long minute, his face moved into an emotionless mask before it mirrored only sadness. His soft voice filled the landscape around him.

"You speak about greater good. Sacrificing Rin, Yahiko, shove Kakashi into despair, Obito and Nagato into insanity, risking the life of my parent's, maybe hundreds who could be killed when you appear in Konoha. Let Orochimaru act free for almost a year. Who knows how much blood will strain his hands. Civilians, children… I can't just sit and wait. You can't weigh human life that easily."

"**Maybe hundreds lives for the lives of thousands. An acceptable sacrifice."**

"I can save them without sacrificing anybody. I must."

"**You can't save everyone. You are still the ideologist-"**

"And you are still underestimating me. We got a lot of time. Almost a year."

"**You already changed a lot of things."** Naruto frowned and nodded. Bee met only once with Minato, Kitsuchi never got caught by Konoha and who knows what other small things he had already changed that would influence the outcome by his mere presence.

"We have to remake the shinobi alliance. That must be done in time." The fox let out a doubting snort.

"**Humans are different this time. The alliance formed only because there was a common enemy. This time, there is no one."**

"There is. They just didn't know about him." Kurama narrowed his eyes.

"**What's on your mind?"** Naruto slowly shook his head, also not sure himself.

"I don't know yet. But the alliances between the nations must be tightened. The time is perfect for that with the peace talks." Naruto looked down to his hands, gathering his thoughts, prioritizing the upcoming events that he knew about.

"**Let me remind you of something. You aren't the politics type. It requires a calm head, and that is what you lack the most. You can act politely only if your life depends on it. Sometimes that threat wasn't even enough."** Kurama snorted and shook his head.

"**For now, just stay out of sight until we have a decent plan. We must focus on Madara." **Naruto slowly nodded and rose from his position and left his mindscape.

"I know." He whispered softly glancing out his window toward the blue sky.

* * *

A long scroll lay on the mahogany desk, shrouding its fine surface from the eyes. A man in black and grey robes examined its content with narrowed eyes. The report about his last attempt to get rid of a possible threat to Konoha. Danzo slowly rolled up the scroll and placed it on the corner of his empty desk. The old veteran closed his visible eye and stayed motionless for long minutes while he considered his last move, to prepare a new one.

His spies and undercover men all over the village report every move of the suddenly appeared new chuunin. His relationship with the Namikaze was never announced officially, but thanks to a very useful nurse in the hospital, Danzo received copies of the blood test results. _'Brothers…' _The council member frowned at the thought when he sent out this information to Iwa, together with his report and the date when the boy would be near the borders. He really hoped that they could get rid of him and mediately it would also open a new gate for him to finally take his seat as the Godaime. It was supposed to be a clean job, without any connection to him, but of course they were incompetent. No foreign shinobi could surpass his elites. The frown deepened on his already wrinkled face.

'_If you want something to be done, you have to do it yourself.' _The war veteran rose from his seat and left the room. The muffled voice of his long robes as the hard textile rubbed against each other was the only sound, not even his footsteps echoed in the forsaken passageway.

* * *

Naruto stood still in front of a familiar door which led to his neighbor. He felt two familiar chakra signatures inside the apartment, one man, who he already met personally and another one, soft, warm and flawless like the finest silk. His arm hesitantly moved toward the door, only to stop there before he could knock. A worried sigh left his soft lips and he forced his muscles to finally move. Two muffled knocks was all he could manage to force out of his arm before it fell limply next to his torso. Naruto closed his eyes and an unconscious gulp forced itself down his dry throat, reminding him to wet his cotton-thick mouth and lick his deserted lips.

A small chakra spike could be sensed inside the apartment, and light, almost soundless footsteps approached the door, which slowly opened and a blonde tuft stick out his head. A soft smile appeared on Minato's fine features and he immediately nodded toward Naruto inviting him inside. The Hokage slowly raised a finger to his mouth, making the universal sign to be quiet. The young time traveler slowly nodded and moved inside the living room without a sound. Minato moved inside the kitchen and Naruto utilized the opportunity without a second thought. He peeked inside the bedroom and the scene forced a warm smile on his face. He moved a step closer and leaned against the doorframe to watch his sleeping mother for a long minute.

Naruto felt like he was going to melt. The graceful figure of his mother would be burned inside his retina forever; the peaceful, almost childish expression on her face, the violently glowing crimson red river of her beautiful hair, framing her face and her whole body on the bed, hugging a big pillow like a lover. Naruto watched as her chest slowly rose and sank, while a small tuft of her ruby red hair swayed together with the rhythm of her breath in front of her soft lips. The overwhelming sensation of peace and safety flushed through him and he couldn't suppress an urge. He slowly moved closer, mindful not to make any noise and crouched next to his sleeping mother. His hand rose automatically, and he gently swept away the ruby feather from her face.

He carefully examined his mother's fine features. It was true that he looked very much like his father; their eyes, their hair color and style. But there were a lot of things he inherited from his mother. His chin more angled than Minato's just like his mother's. His mouth was exactly the same as hers.

When his fingers touched the soft, silky skin of her face he felt an electrostatic sparkle jump toward him, but there was no pain or any uneasy feeling. Only a small tingling sensation in the tip of his fingers. Kushina flinched in her dreams, and a small frown appeared on her face. Her son slowly and gently stroked his fingers once more on her cheeks and the frown disappeared, replaced with a soft smile. Her lips parted as a soft, almost silent snore left his mother, causing Naruto to chuckle. He couldn't restrain himself anymore and he slowly leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his mother's forehead and leaned back just in time before he felt a familiar presence in the door.

He slowly turned his head to see his father replacing his previous position next to the doorframe, holding up two cups of steaming tea in both hands. Naruto nodded, sending a soft smile toward his sleeping mother before he left the room without making a sound, sneaking one last peak at his dreaming mother before he finally close the door. Minato handed over one of the steaming cups to his son after they occupied the couch. The young blond shinobi gratefully sipped from the hot liquid, enjoying as it slowly warming up his insides with closed eyes.

"You look very satisfied," the Hokage pointed out, eyeing his partner while also sipping his hot tea.

"I _am_ satisfied dattebayo." Minato raised an eyebrow, however Naruto couldn't see it with his still closed eyelids.

"Something happened?" The blond teen shrugged and he finally opened his eyes to lock with the identical ones of his father for a long minute before he opened his mouth to answer.

"You could say that."

"It's because of your memory? About your legacy isn't it?" That caught Naruto off guard and he exhaled his breath loudly inside his mug, sending a large amount of the steaming liquid into his lap. The Hokage suppressed a laugh, while he watched his cursing brother, as he was desperately trying to clean off as much tea from his clothes and from the couch as he could.

"Toroku…" Naruto distantly heard the name, but he recognized that Minato referring to him, only after a long pause.

"The pervert talks too much…" A gentle smile appeared on the Hokage's face.

"I'm glad that you chose something this big as a goal. And also the same as me." Naruto looked back to him with a surprised face and a raised eyebrow.

"The same?"

"My goal is the same as yours. To bring peace. However…I had chosen a smaller first step. My first goal is to bring peace to Konoha. Then I can move further to the other countries."

"That's a nice goal…" A half smile appeared on Naruto's face, and his expression saddened in the end before he continued.

"However there are a lot of other people outside the village gates who also deserve peace in the other hidden villages. Shinobi suffering because of the war, because of the hatred and the vengeance burning inside them. The civilians..." The young ninja slowly shook his head and sipped his tea with a wondering face, while his thoughts traveled to foreign countries in his memories, to the thousands of comrades who he fought alongside during the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Who sacrificed their lives for him, for the shinobi world, for the freedom and for the true life.

"Minato, you're a smart man. You're the Hokage after all." The Yondaime raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unusual seriousness in his voice.

"Tell me Minato. How could one man bring peace to the world? How can one man change the world?" The named blond stayed in silence for a long minute, lost in his own thoughts before finally opening his mouth.

"The world, our lives are as vast as an ocean. If you dribble only one drop of water in the middle, it will reach a great distance before it fades away. If you could convince more people, you will get more drops, and the echoes of the small waves could definitely reach the shores. Even a small drop of water can cause waves." Naruto stayed in silence, chewing his father's thought carefully.

"I don't want small waves. I need a tsunami dattebayo!" Naruto grinned back to Minato, who softly chuckled and waved a hand.

"A tsunami? Well, you just need to make a bigger impact I think. You are quite good at that already." The young man rolled his eyes and playfully flung his hand toward Minato, who easily avoided the attempt to smack him on the back of his head. The two blonds chuckled softly, careful not to wake up the woman in the next room. The two men stayed in silence, sipping their tea, before Naruto broke it.

"What happened with the Iwa ninjas?" Minato raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.

"They are at the Interrogation and Torture Department. But unfortunately they are just small fries." The blond chuunin slowly rubbed his finger on the edge of his cup.

"Why didn't they go after the others? Why was I the only target?" Minato let out a sigh and leaned back on the couch, resting his cup on his stomach while a frown appeared on his face.

"Their mission was only to kidnap you. Somehow they got word of our relation, despite the fact that it wasn't announced. What worries me is that they knew specifically that you are my brother, and not just a relative. That information is classified, only a small number of people have access to it. Furthermore…" The Hokage closed his eyes, and his eyebrows connected to one continuous line.

"They knew about your mission. They weren't just wandering around. It was a very well prepared ambush." Naruto sipped the last bit of his tea and leaned back on the couch after he put his cup on the table, mimicking the frown on his father's worried face.

"I couldn't understand what Iwa could gain by my kidnap. Blackmailing the Hokage in the middle of the peace talks? What were they thinking?" Minato slowly shook his head before he answered.

"Kidnapping or killing you wouldn't be just vengeance on me. It would be the demonstration of power toward the other Nations." Minato let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead, before shaking his head again.

"You are suspecting that someone within the village informed Iwa aren't you?" Minato didn't answer, or move, his face not mirroring any other emotions under his troubled frown, but that was enough for Naruto to take it as a 'Yes'.

"Someone is trying to debilitate you from inside the walls." The Hokage finally nodded.

"So it would seem."

Naruto closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his head flung freely between his shoulders as his mind ran through several possibilities. Who were after power in Konoha, to sacrifice someone for the cause? The Hokage's personal council? No. They were mostly a big bunch of old hags, but they wouldn't dare to make a step like this. Plus Sarutobi is also part of it now. The Uchiha…Naruto narrowed his eyes at the thought, but he forced his brain to stay out of his memories of Sasuke, and Madara. The Uchiha planned a rebellion, but that won't occur for almost another decade. Orochimaru had been after the Hokage hat for years before he defected from the village but this wasn't his style. Naruto slowly shook his head to clear his thoughts, while he forced his brain to search for any hints in his memories, but nothing came. In the end, he let out a weary sigh.

"What will happen to them?" Minato raised an eyebrow and turned toward his companion, not sure who he was referring to. Finally he realized he was asking about the Iwa prisoners.

"After the interrogation's finished the council will decide their fate." Thoughts raced inside Naruto's head with insane speed, looking for any possibilities to fix what he ruined.

"You are the Hokage..." Minato frowned and narrowed his eyes, waiting for the blond chuunin to continue.

"You can act beside the council. They were just following orders, like anybody else. Like you, months ago. Like me. Let them go. Please." Naruto turned toward Minato, his eyes almost begging and the frown only darkened on his face.

Minato tilted his head to the side, eyeing Naruto carefully with narrowed gaze, but the blue orbs reflected wondering thoughts and nothing more as he considered his words. The Hokage straightened himself and slowly moved to the window and folded his arms behind his back. He ran his azure eyes along the village, the people walking on the streets, and his eyes finally moved toward the giant mountain in front of his window to meet his predecessors' faces.

"Why?" Minato slowly turned around, watching his brother with a wondering face.

"I know I haven't got any right to ask anything like this. But I don't hold any grudge toward them. I understand them, even the attempt to kill me. I'm willing to forgive them. And if you think about it, Konoha could show mercy toward Iwa, toward the Tsuchikage, and use it as a benefit during the negotiations. It wouldn't be seen as a weakness, rather the use of power of influence." Minato narrowed his eyes, frowning but considered every word of the blond chuunin.

"You can benefit more if the Tsuchikage owes you one. Minato…Please. If you are finished with them. Let them go."

"I will consider it."

"Thank you." A relieved smile ran across Naruto's face.

"I didn't know you were interested in politics."

"It's a new passion of mine." A moment later, Naruto asked, "Can I…I would like to meet with the Iwa commander if it's not a problem." Minato tilted his head to the side, his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Why?" Naruto only shrugged casually.

"We were interrupted in the middle of our conversation. Okay, I actually fainted. But I want to talk to him and finish it." Minato frowned, but nodded.

Naruto answered with a nervous "Thank you." and moved toward the kitchen to refill their empty cups with another round of the streaming liquid, while he tried to lock out the angry and disagreeing cursing of his tenant. Minato followed his movement with a wondering face. It wasn't suspicion that rose inside of him, since it was clear after the interrogation that Toroku had nothing to do with the Iwa team. No, the feeling that welled up was awe.

Awe that he was willing to forgive the kidnappers who had even tried to kill him. To top it off, it seemed to be the young ninja's natural instinct to save lives, and rescue souls. The Hokage closed his eyes as he became lost in his own thoughts. _'Would I be so pure?...No. I don't think so. I would utilize the opportunity to punish them.' _A large amount of respect built inside his mind toward the blond chuunin despite his young age. _'Maybe you really could reach your goal.'_ Minato watched his brother silently as he refilled their pot, and slowly brought it back, together with a third cup. The older blond frowned and at the moment he parted his lips to question it, he heard the soft ruffling of fine fabric inside the bedroom. Minato slowly shook his head, awe and pride sparkled in his blue orbs.

"I will never get used to your sensing skills Otouto." Naruto answered with a wide grin as the sensation of pride flushed his mind by his father's compliment, and he placed the three cups onto the small table. The door slowly opened with a muffled squeak and a ruby red bush appeared in the gap. Kushina stepped inside the living room, her eyes half open, her orbs still foggy from her previous dream. The young chuunin's heart started to beat faster as his mother slowly eyed him from head to toe. Her eyes slowly became wider and wider, until she burst toward him, almost sweeping them both to the floor.

Two soft arms folded around his frame, and this time he didn't hesitate to react. He returned the sweet embrace, clutching to her for a never ending moment, enjoying as her sweet scent of vanilla filled his nose. He felt the heat of her body; the rough spots on her hands, caused by the use of the kunai; the rhythm of her heartbeat and her breath. He felt her ruby hair tickling his own face as Kushina bore herself more and more into his neck. Naruto slowly stroked his mother's back, while he glanced toward Minato from the corner of his eye to see the gentle smile on his father's features.

"Toroku…" Naruto flinched, however the voice of his mother stroked his ears like fine silk. He gently stroked away a tuft of her ruby locks and leaned back to lock his azure blue orbs with his mother's eyes. He wanted to scream, to cry, and to tell them everything. I'm Naruto! I'm here! I'm your son! But the urge finally died down as his thoughts moved toward rationalism. Sadness and despair flushed in his eyes, but only for a moment, not enough time to be recognizable.

"Kushina. Is everything alright?" He distantly heard his own voice as his lips moved. He still felt numb. It was strange. The first sight of his father, his living, breathing father didn't cause this kind of reaction. Kurama's snort finally pushed him back to reality. _**'Drama queen.'**_

"That's my line, dattebane. I was worried, but that idiot told me that you were tired and I couldn't go check on you." Naruto gently chuckled and took a step back.

"I'm all right. I was just exhausted." A wide, almost foxy grin appeared on his mother's face and Naruto couldn't suppress the urge to mimic it. Minato stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"When she heard you were kidnapped she wanted to march to the borders by herself." A soft smile appeared on Naruto's face.

"I can take care of myself. I'm pretty strong you know." Kushina only rolled her green eyes in her annoyance.

"You are. But just as your brother, you are also an Idiot." Naruto chuckled, and glanced toward the irritated face of his father.

"I _am_ the Hokage. Where is my respect?!" Kushina sent a cheeky grin toward her lover.

"You will get that respect if you will put your soiled underwear into the laundry basket." The Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato gaped like a fish, frozen in place without a word, flushed brilliant red even to his ears with embarrassment while the apartment echoed from the whinnying laughter of his son and Kushina.

* * *

Naruto went through the familiar passages of the Interrogation and Torture department, where he had spent the first two weeks in the past after he finally woke up. He stepped onto the stairs, which leads to the basement, toward the cells of the four shinobi from Iwa. He found himself facing a thick wooden door, covered with invisible security seals. However, he could still sense their presence by the tiny amount of chakra continuously leaking out from the pattern. He grabbed the handle and the seals glowed with a faint yellow light, examining the intruder and in the end it had faded away, the door finally opened. He stepped into the passage and waved a hand to Makoto, who smiled and nodded to the blond chuunin.

"He is in the last cell. When you're finished just sign to the ANBU."

Naruto nodded and moved toward the end of the passage without hesitation. During his past life, he had never been down here and it didn't match with his mental picture of this place. Instead of a dark passage, cells with rusty bars; he found himself in a bright corridor, with absolutely normal looking doors containing a large glass window in the middle. The enormous number of security seals all across the passage was the only thing indicating prison cells. He finally reached the last door and glanced inside, it was very small and sparsely furnished room. He glanced at the Iwa commander, who sat on the bed, his arms resting limply on his thighs, while his head hung freely on his giant chest. His big, brawny body was slumped, without any sign of the once proud Commander of the Second Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Naruto let out a long breath and opened the door with a small spike of his chakra and stepped inside the cell. He instantly felt the effects of the security seals, as in a blink, his chakra reserve was locked up and his limbs felt numb due to the lack of it. No wonder Kitsuchi seemed so weary. Naruto made a hesitant step forward and cleared his throat to gain attention, but the once proud commander stayed in the same slumped position on the bed. The blond rolled his eyes and moved to the chair next to a small table.

"**Exactly which part of our previous conversation couldn't reach your brain? This isn't part of keeping a low profile!"** Kurama let out a frustrated snort, but Naruto just made a mental shrug and dismissively waved toward him.

'_I know what I am doing. Just let me work.'_

"**I doubt it."**

They stayed in silence for long minutes, until the Iwa shinobi finally realized, that he wouldn't get rid of the blond boy by simply ignoring his presence.

"What do you want?" Naruto leaned back and crossed his hands behind his neck, but inside his brain a satisfied smirk appeared.

"Nothing. Just thought you could bear a companion." A snort left the commander's nose and he finally raised his head to look at Naruto with a blank expression.

"Drop the act. What do you want? You aren't an interrogator."

"No, I'm not. I just want to talk to you and that's all." The blank expression melted away from Kitsuchi's face and a confused frown appeared on his features. He eyed Naruto for a long minute and averted his gaze from the piercing blue eyes, back to the floor. The blond chuunin dropped his hands onto his own lap, before his soft voice filled the small room.

"What was her name?" The eyes of the commander twitched, and his body flinched, almost invisibly, but he still fixed his eyes in front of him for a long minute before he opened his mouth to answer.

"Sumie…" The voice of the Iwa shinobi had died down to a whisper.

"I'm sorry for your loss…I understand it." A skeptical "Ch." was the only answer from the commander before he braced himself and barked out to the blond.

"Don't act like you understand me. You are a shinobi of the leaf. You don't know me. My loss, my vengeance. My hatred. Konoha won the war, we lose. But next time it will be different. We will win the next war. Iwa will become stronger." Naruto stayed in silence for a long minute, eyeing the tense Kitsuchi carefully.

"It doesn't matter where you come from. Stone or Leaf it won't matter in the end. Nor will it matter if you are from Mist, Cloud or Sand. Nothing will matter. Your rank, your heritage won't be concerned by the Shinigami, it will indiscriminately reach out for everyone from a powerful Kage to a freshly graduated genin. I don't need to understand _you_ personally. I understand the pain. The sorrow. It's common for everyone. The urge to protect your home and your loved ones. In war there are no winners; only survivors. This is what makes us the same."

"We are not the same. Iwa is powerful. We will become more powerful and we will wipe you out."

"Tell me. Why did the war start? To seek power. But in the end, every nation only became weaker by the loss of its people. Only one thing can stop the terror of a war, and that is peace. This is what every human being, every man, child, woman and every shinobi is waiting for. We are shinobi. We are the same in more ways than you would ever agree. Will your vengeance bring peace to your soul?" Kitsuchi stayed in silence for long minutes, and he finally looked up to meet the eyes with the young man.

"One man couldn't bring peace to the world. It's impossible." Naruto rose from the seat and stepped closer to the commander.

"Maybe. However one man could start something and in the end reach the goal together. I, you, the Tsuchikage, the Hokage, the guard outside this door, we are small parts of a big domino chain. The question is: Do we have the courage to finally start falling and change the shinobi world?"

"You are insane…" Naruto only shrugged and walked next to the door, knocking to the patiently waiting ANBU outside the door, who silently opened it and the blond step out. Before the door could close, Naruto glanced over his shoulders and sent a wide grin to the once commander.

"Perhaps, but I have the courage to fall." Kitsuchi jerked his head up and blinked after the leaving blond chuunin, staring at the closed door for a long time, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

Naruto's foot automatically moved on the thin roads to his unknown destination. He fixed his gaze on the dirt of the streets, the corners of the business flags as he wandered the morning streets of Konoha. Civilians and shinobi passed his way, one or two waved a hand to him, a shinobi gently tapped his shoulders with a wide grin on his face and deep in his mind he recognized the man as a Shin, a special jounin. They worked together three weeks ago next to the borders, to find the runaway child of a businessman.

That mission should only be a C class, without any danger, however the mercantile had eagerly paid the fee of an A class mission and requested the best sensors to find his daughter. And Minato granted his wish. They found the girl near Yugakure in one of the bathhouses, enjoying her free time not so alone and Toroku had to put paralyze seals on the girl in order to drag her back to her father. She was only a civilian, but after their small fight, Toroku had to bandage up his bleeding arm, where the brunette had bitten into his flesh more than once. Minato and Kushina teased him for weeks after that incident. He grinned back to Shin and after some short interaction their ways parted when they reached a small bakery.

A young brown haired brunette ran to him before he reached the corner. The daughter of the baker pushed a still warm brown bag inside his hands, blushing and nervously swinging on her heals, chatting about silly things. The same woman who after a decade would throw a piece of bread at him, while hatred flamed in her eyes. The same woman, who kissed him on his cheek after he had saved the village from Pein. Naruto slowly shook his head after he disappeared behind the corner and moved toward an alley and reached a square. A group of laughing children passed beside him, one pointed a finger toward him, while he could hear the muffled whispers. "There is the Yondaime." "Silly. It's not him." A small smile appeared on his face, while he left the crowd and his ANBU guard hiding in the shadows.

Two raven haired men passed beside him, with stern looks on their faces, carefully examining their surroundings, the people on the streets, looking for anything suspicious. Naruto fixed his azure blue orbs on the symbol on their green vest. A shuriken with an Uchiha fan in the middle. Somewhere deep inside his memories he recognized that as the symbol of Konoha's Military Police Force. Naruto let out a weary sigh and shook his head to ease away his thoughts from the upcoming massacre. _'I still got a lot of time…'_

A young genin burst out from an alley, chasing a big, fat brown cat with a red bow toward Naruto. A nostalgic feeling ran through him while he easily caught the runaway animal, holding her up by the nape of her neck. The panting boy stopped slide-slip in the dirt, breathing heavily. The chuunin eyed the wonky black haired boy with the white bandages on his chin and cheeks as he caught his breath.

"Thank you shinobi-san." A foxy grin appeared on Naruto's face.

"You know, if I hand her over, you will owe me a Ramen." The genin narrowed his eyes, eyeing him without a word for a long minute, before he nodded and held out his small hand.

"Deal. But only one bowl." Naruto nodded and after a short handshake he handed over the struggling cat to the young shinobi, who immediately touched the small device on his neck to report to the rest of the team.

"I got her Izumo. I'm heading toward the meeting point. End. Kotetsu." The boy gave a small bow to Naruto and turned around toward the Hokage tower, but before he could take a step, the desperately struggling cat ran her claws on the chubby cheeks of the genin, leaving four thin red lines on his face. Kotetsu automatically dropped the cat and tapped his abused chin with a painful yelp, squeezing his eyes shut. Naruto could swear that the mother or most likely grandmother of Tora grinned at him before she disappeared in an alley with the cursing boy behind her. He could hear when Kotetsu informed the rest of his team about the escape on the next rooftop.

"Some things never change…" The chuunin slowly shook his head, still chuckling while he walked away toward his destination.

Naruto reached the border district of Konoha. He glanced up on the great walls, eyeing the patrolling squads. A sad smile ran across his eyes as they locked on a young kunoichi in the middle of her teens. Her red eyes locked with him for a second, before Kurenai gratefully ran toward the main gate. Naruto let out a sigh and dug his hands inside his pockets. His foot leading him on his way, hopefully away from his dark thoughts, away from team eight. From Kiba. From Shino…From Hinata…Hinata… Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts just in time to avoid bumping into a tall man's back next to a high wooded wall.

The man slowly turned around and gave a light bow to Naruto who returned the gesture much deeper. While he locked his eyes to the milky orbs in front of him, recognition ran through him as he carefully, but still in low key eyed the very familiar man in front of him. His long black hair, the stern look on Hinata's father's face. No. Something was off on the well-known features. Naruto's eyes rested on the Hitai-ate on the man's forehead when he realized who he was facing. He distantly felt another eye on him and he glanced toward a tall, graceful woman, who stepped out from the entrance of the compound seconds ago and gave him a light nod.

"Odoroki-san."

"Hyuuga-san."

The chuunin blinked. Then again. His eyes locked on a small figure in the arms of the woman. A small, sleeping figure, with short raven black hair, slowly sucking his thumb in his dream.

"Hizashi, let's go. Neji is tired." A ghost of a smile appeared on Naruto's face, as he eyed the small prodigy in his mother's arms and couldn't suppress a chuckle when a thin line of drool appeared on edge of the small lips, slowly moving toward Neji's chubby chin.

The tall man nodded to the woman and they left Naruto alone after a small nod, who roared with laughter inside his head. _'Oh man. That was just flawless!'_

He still chuckled when the image of the driveling Neji popped up inside his head, suppressing his last memories of the black haired teen, leaning against his shoulder as he let out his last breath with a smile on his face.

His feet moved again, moving him away from the Hyuuga compound. A shiver ran through his spine when the image of a big eyed child with black hair, dressed in a green sleeper flew across his mind. His thoughts wondered toward a baby Ten-Ten, and he imagined her baby version playing with a rattler made from a Kunai. A soft chuckle left his mouth but his lips curved down into a smaller and more gentle smile when another thought dug into his mind. Naruto closed his eyes and turned around to head back to the center of the village, to check on another baby, still floating in her mother's womb, waiting patiently for the moment of birth.

Naruto found himself sitting on a bench, almost directly in front of a house, under an enormous and ancient cherry tree, waiting patiently for hours, for only a moment long glimpse. His head slip from his palm for not the first time and his foggy mind cleared again as the dream slipped away from his brain by the harsh movement. The door finally opened and he had to calm down his pounding heart when he finally saw what he was waiting for. A tall, fair skinned, blonde haired woman stepped out from the house with an obviously round tummy. Her green eyes locked with his own for a mere moment and he waved a hand toward the surprised kunoichi, who in the end left the house with a wondering face.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face. _'Just a little bit more Sakura…Just a little bit more and we will meet again.'_

* * *

Naruto found himself sitting on his well-known spot on his father's head. He rested his crossed arms on his tucked legs, watching his loved Village in the afternoon light. His eyes moved toward a distant spot, where he knew he would find the Uchiha compound behind the large trees. He restrained the urge to check on his other friends, it would be almost impossible for him to sneak inside the walls especially to those which were crowded with those creepy eyes. They would spot him in a second and he doubted he could come up with an acceptable excuse why he is lurking and spying inside the compounds.

His gaze moved toward where he knew the compound of the Inuzuka could be found. A small smile appeared on his face when he thought back the short-tempered Kiba. Their arguments, their fights, their laughs. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head toward another comrade's compound before opening them again. The Aburames. The Naras. The Akimichis… Despair and sorrow started to spread inside his mind, as he rested his sight on the village below his legs.

Finally something diverted his darkening thoughts. He heard small footsteps behind the monument, deep inside the woods, as somebody was marching toward his hiding place, not aware of how much noise he was making. Naruto heard the ruffle of the unsecured clothes, the cracking of the twigs under the footsteps, the rustle of the dried leaves on the ground and felt the spike of that someone's chakra. The spikes of a troubled, angry person. He heard a muffled thump and a painful yelp, the scent of a small amount of fresh blood reached his sensitive nose. Finally, the silhouette of a child evolved from the woods, cursing under his breath, clutching his hand on his abused fist as he tried to channel his frustration to one of the trees. However the tree was much stronger, nothing could prove better than the bruise and small amount of blood on his fist. The young boy hopped down to the monument, only meters from Naruto and sat next to one of Minato's stone spikes.

The blonde shinobi froze in his seat, but he forced his muscles to slowly turn his head and lock his eyes on the child next to him. The giant stone spike shrouded most of his small form, only his grimacing face and flashing anger in his eyes was visible. The chuunin's sight frozen on the dark hair of the child, the spiking ponytail, the dark, but still glowing eyes…and the long scar which ran across the bridge of his nose from cheek to cheek. His heart forgot to pound for a second, and his mouth suddenly felt dryer than the desserts of Suna. Iruka…He went back immediately to Konoha to look after the children who stayed in the village, after he fled from that turtle island to join his comrades on the battlefield.

The child found a small stone and threw it from the monument, toward the village.

"Stupid Sensei…Stupid Academy…Stupid Hokage…Stupid Village…" The small child angrily cursed under his breath and threw another small stone toward the village after his each and every curse, weighing his words. The boy suddenly froze when he finally realized that he wasn't alone. He slowly turned his head to the side, to meet the wide and shocked cerulean eyes and the parted mouth of Naruto. They stayed in complete silence, each other frozen for their own reasons. The moment was broken by the loud laughing of the blond and the gaping of the ten year old Umino Iruka.

"What's so funny?" The child hopped into his feet, pointing a finger toward the still chuckling blond, who just waved a hand. His once sensei as a cute child, cursing and hissing the Academy, his own sensei, his village and the Hokage. His late teacher, who lectured him that he should show respect to the leaders and toward the village, because the young Uzumaki had called the Sandaime "Jiji". Suddenly realization flushed through Iruka's face and a small hint of panic could be seen in his dark eyes.

"Y-You are the Yondaime's -I didn't mean to…" A foxy grin appeared on Naruto's face, seeing the starting panic and the slight tremble of the small hands.

"Relax kid. I'm not going to tattle." Iruka relaxed his tense muscles but his eyes still mirror suspicion.

"What's your name gaki?" The child narrowed is eyes and the suspicious glance only grew.

"Why do you want to know?" Naruto shrugged and leaned back on his back, folding his arms behind his neck, crossing his legs in a casual way, while his eyes fixed on a crystal white puffy cloud.

"I'm just trying to start a conversation." Iruka slowly stepped out to see his new blond companion behind the stone spike, but in the end he decided, that he really wouldn't tattle. He moved next to the laying chuunin and sat down crossed legs, still watching Naruto from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm Umino Iruka." Naruto sat up and held out his hand toward the child.

"Odoroki Toroku at your service." Iruka made a confused face.

"Odoroki? I thought-They said that you are a relative of Yondaime-sama. Shouldn't you be a Namikaze?" The sudden '–sama' tag wasn't missed by Naruto, but he just sent a gentle smile back.

"It's a long story." A frown appeared on the child face, but in the end he suppressed his curiosity and stayed in silence.

"Soo Iruka-_chan_. What makes you to curse everything?" The boy folded his arms in front of his chest, and snorted.

"I'm not a girl. Don't call me -chan!" Naruto only rolled his eyes, but his blue orbs sparkled cheekily.

"Care to tell me Iruka_-kun_ what upset you that much, that you have to punch a tree?" Iruka tried to hide his bruised fist in his embarrassment and he felt as his cheeks become redder, but in the end he reversed the movement. _'It doesn't matter anymore, he already knows.'_

"How did you know that?"

Naruto only shrugged, and Iruka stayed in silence for a long minute, watching the village under his feet, when a group with green vests jumped toward the Hokage tower from rooftop to rooftop in the afternoon sunlight.

"I failed on the academy pre-test." Naruto stayed in silence, waiting for Iruka to continue, but he was shocked in the inside.

"Sensei told me, if I was unable to make it on the next pre-test, he won't let me apply to graduate with the early team, because of a new regulation." Naruto narrowed his eyes, eyeing the young boy next to him carefully.

"Why do you want to graduate early?" Iruka stayed in silence for a long minute before he finally opened his mouth to answer.

"Because…because I want to became stronger. To learn strong jutsus and to show them."

"Why?" Iruka finally looked up to Naruto with a confused face.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to become stronger?"

"Because with strong jutsus, I can prove myself. Sensei told me, that I won't be a battle type shinobi...He said that I haven't got the affinity for that, nor the mindset. I want to show them." Naruto let out a sigh when he saw the sour face on Iruka. Maybe a small push wouldn't hurt. He heard the displeased snort of Kurama in the background.

"I'm sure you will do fine next year. Plus power isn't always about flashy jutsu. You can find great powers in much different ways and places." Iruka raised a curious eyebrow.

"Power could be found in a piece of paper…a seal for example. Power could be found in your heart. And do you know what holds the biggest power?" Iruka slowly shook his head.

"The younger generation." The child made a confused look.

"I don't get it."

"You will one day." Naruto made a wondering face toward the blue sky. "Geez. Telling this to you, I feel like an old man. I'm starting to lose my power of youth-" Naruto suddenly froze. "I didn't say that did I, dattebayo?" Naruto turned toward Iruka with wide eyes, and faced a confused child, while he ruffled his own blond locks in his shock. He slowly shook his head and leaned back. "Never mind."

"You are crazy."

"Normal people are boring." A soft smile appeared on Naruto's face. "Hey Iruka. Aren't you hungry for a ramen? It's my treat." The child made a wondering look, tapping his chin, and nodded with a wide smile. Naruto straightened and ruffled the dark lock of his once sensei, smoothing out tufts in his tidy ponytail. Naruto was followed by a cursing child, desperately trying to fix his ruined hair on the way back to the city center where Naruto could finally start to pay back his debts toward his sensei.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Family reunion and the first willful steps to change the future.

The 300th review was written by a dear an unfortunately anonymous Guest. Congratulations! Your present is a digital art commission. Please contact me somehow here or on my Deviantart account.

**Guest 4/1/13 . chapter 12**

**UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**

I intend to do more like this in the future, so be prepared!

Thank you for all the story recommendations I haven't check all of it yet, but I really appreciate your help and I'm still looking for more if you got some goodies. So if you got a really good fic without any weird awkwardness feel free to recommend. :)

Of course always feel free to point out any missed mistakes.

Answer to a Guest:

The seal isn't always visible (see when he first met with Jiraiya when he was a kid) nor is he emitting Kurama's chakra constantly as far as I know. If I'm wrong, deal with it please. :)

**Story recommendations:**

**Unsealing Legacy **by** Forlorn Story Teller** - In which someone inspired Naruto to start learning fuuinjutsu in young age, though not without accidentally tampering with his seal and unseal legacy left behind by his parents. It was both curse and a blessing in the same time. Uchiha Itachi was suspicious of his fellow prodigy, and Naruto was paranoid. The prodigies made unlikely friends, and great minds thinks alike. NOT yaoi!

**Worlds Will Collide **by** Gaara's Plaything** - In another world, a colossal battle ends with many people displaced into a new world. How will they cope there, and will their presence change things for the better, or will there be yet another disaster? Incredibly AU for both worlds, character death, violence, no pairings decided yet. (Unfortunately it's short and isn't updated frequently, but I still like it. Thanks for Anon for the recommendation!)


	14. Chapter 14 - Children

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

Applause goes for my precious Beta Reader: **ImaginationJunkie1412**.

**Original upload date: 29, May 2013**

**Last update: **

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 14. – Children**

"_Children are our legacy. Our responsibility. They are our destiny and we are theirs." _

_ Dirk Benedict_

* * *

A kunai flew toward the wooden post, and a brief second later penetrated the hard surface and buried itself deep into the ground behind the pole, followed by a second weapon only meters from it. A furious snort echoed inside the empty clearing and Naruto grabbed another kunai and a shuriken in both of his hands. He let out a long breath, then shot forward with his left hand, releasing the weapon and a millisecond later his right hand mimicked his movement. The shuriken reached the flying kunai in the air and a metallic clink indicated connection, which diffracted the kunai to aim directly into the bull's eye on the log. A wide and satisfied smile appeared on Naruto's face by his success and punched into the air._ 'Take that! Special Uchiha technique my ass.'_

Naruto let out a weary sigh and ran his hand through his blond locks. He had been training for three hours to finally make this move work, but the first joys of success left him as fast as it came. The feeling was replaced by his memories, his betrayer… The chuunin let out another sigh and shook his head to ease away the memories together with the ache in his heart, and he started to do what he always did when he didn't want to think: Train until he drops to the ground from exhaustion.

A shadow clone had appeared beside him and they almost immediately jumped backward and moved to stance, only to jump into action a second later for an enormous taijutsu battle. Fighting against a shadow clone had its advantages. You share the same experiences, the same knowledge, you fight against the same style; countering yourself was training for fighting against the sharingan. You have to push yourself over the limits and be as unpredictable as you can be to trick yourself, or you will be beaten. These thoughts ran through his mind in the blink of an eye while he made another attempt to kick his clone out of existence.

The clone grabbed a missed kunai from the ground next alongside a thick log and aimed for his head with the next attack. A small tug in Naruto's consciousness caused his head to snap to the side, dropping his defense for a brief second despite his years of experience on the field. The clone's attack was unstoppable, the kunai freely dashed toward his face without anything to stop it. In the last moment, Naruto finally broke out of his temporary stasis to stop it just in time. The blond clone froze, his identical eyes widened when his brain processed the scene; the kunai stabbed through the Boss's palm.

"Boss-" Naruto slowly shook his head, observing the wound with an annoyed grimace on his face. The chuunin grabbed the kunai, and with one fluid motion, pulled the weapon from his flesh and sent it flying toward the edge of the woods, where he had sensed the movement. A rabbit ran out from under a big bush, and disappeared at the other side of the training ground. Naruto frowned in his confusion, only for it to be replaced with the annoyed grimace once more. _'A damn rabbit?'_ He was just simply too preoccupied. A relieved sigh left his mouth, together with a painful hiss, as the adrenalin started to wear off, giving his body time to register the throbbing pain in his palm.

'_Kurama. Could you help me out? If I go back with a hole in my hand Rin would skin me alive.'_

His only answer was an irritated grumble, but the gaping hole in the middle of his palm immediately started to shrink as new tissue appeared on the edges of the wound, by the insensible amount of foreign chakra. Ten seconds later only the pinkness of his new skin betrayed what had happened seconds before. Naruto slowly examined his raised hand, clenching then releasing a fist. After a short nod to his clone, the intense spar simply continued like nothing had happened.

This time he concentrated on his clone with all of his nerves and senses, unaware of the curiously shining amber colored eyes behind the bush. Graceful and pale fingers locked around the bloody barrel of the kunai and the shadowy figure disappeared from the training ground with a satisfied and excited grin on his face.

* * *

Hours later, Naruto felt a gentle tap on his shoulders while sitting in his favorite spot across Teuchi's counter, only then did the familiar warm chakra signature reached his senses, pulling him out of his previous argument with Kurama. Without turning around he waved a hand in greeting, slurping the last remnants of his ramen and placed his now empty bowl on top of a slowly growing pile. The ruffle of soft fabric reached his ears and after he tapped his stomach and let out a satisfying sigh, he finally turned to the newcomer.

"Hi!" He chimed, receiving a warm smile in response from Minato.

"Hokage-sama. It's been awhile since your last visit." The Yellow Flash of Konoha turned toward Teuchi and grinned to the owner as he answered.

"Yes. I got a busy week Teuchi-san. But I can't live too long without your dishes." A proud smile formed on the owner's face, and Naruto couldn't suppress the urge to roll his eyes at the obviously too sweet and too charming response.

"The usual, Hokage-sama?" Minato nodded in response and turned back to the blond, while the owner moved to the back of the small kitchen to prepare his order.

"Soo, I was just wondering…Are you still interested in politics?" Naruto raised a curious eyebrow and pull his next steaming bowl of ramen in front of him, not bothering to wait for Minato's order to arrive.

"Sure." A wide satisfied grin appeared on the leader's face.

"Then it's a deal. You will come with me." Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He knew that grin; that cunning expression on his father's face. Hardly different from his usual happy grin, an invisible twinge the only indication that he was hiding something.

"And exactly where are we going?"

"To Suna. I will be meeting with the Kazekage this week."

Naruto's right eye had twitched in his annoyance, however his heart also warmed at the thought of the noble dunes. But the pleasant feeling was washed away to be replaced with pervading sadness when his thoughts wandered to the last Kazekage in his own timeline. He give himself a mental slap on his face, to knock himself back to reality in the hope that his emotional rollercoaster hadn't appeared on his face. Based on Minato's still soft smile he was successful. In the end, he eyed his leader suspiciously.

"And you need me again for distraction while you are chit-chatting with him don't you?" Minato only shrugged casually and reached out to get a pair of chopsticks when Teuchi reappeared behind the counter with a big bowl of steaming ramen and silently stepped back to give his Hokage some space.

"Maybe, maybe not." The blond chunnin rolled his eyes at the answer.

"Fine, but no mask this time."

"I didn't intend to order that. It was effective for the first time, but he already saw your face. It would be useless anyway."

"So, we will march into Suna with a full delegation?"

"No. Just the two of us." Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He had never been out alone with his father before, and there is no way he will skip this opportunity. However, leaving Konoha in the knowledge that Orochimaru, Obito, and Madara were still at large gave him an uneasy feeling.

"**Brat. Don't overcomplicate things. Just keep a low profile and don't mess up anything."** Naruto rolled his eyes unconsciously and the Hokage raised an eyebrow.

"You don't want to go out with me?" The eyes of the blond chuunin widened and he immediately started to deny, supporting with wide gestures and waving hands.

"Of course I want to, dattebayo! It would be great! Really. I was just wondering who will take care of the things here." Okay, not a total lie, but it was still enough for Minato to raise an eyebrow, before he turned to his dish.

"The third will take care of everything here until I am back. I don't count on being gone more than one and a half weeks. I'm sure he is more than capable to handle it."

"I didn't mean that. I know he is more than capable. He ran this place for decades…" The chuunin mumbled under his breath and folded his arms in front of his chest defensively, forcing Minato to chuckle at the childish behavior.

"Then it's a deal. We will departure the day after tomorrow. I'll pick you up at eight. Be ready." Naruto nodded with a small smile on his face, and the two blonds burrowed themselves into the two steaming bowls of Ramen.

* * *

Naruto glanced at the small clock ticking irritatingly next to his bed and noted the late hour. It had been a long struggle to fall asleep, and in the end he left the bed after an aggravated groan. His eyes moved toward the window and toward Konoha. A weary sigh left his soft lips and five minutes later he left the apartment in the hope that a small walk and the fresh air would help him out. He let his feet take the lead, moving unconsciously with a blank mind on the almost empty streets of the Village.

Half an hour later, he found himself slowly walking on a narrow path inside the woods, his feet leading him to his well-known "hiding" place, to the top of the Hokage Monument. A familiar fragrance stroked his nose and his blank mind sharpened when the sweet scent of vanilla become recognizable after a second. His mother's scent. He sniffed once more at the cold, fresh night air and let out an unnoticeable thin layer of chakra to map his surroundings. He found three presences around him. One was that of his guard, and two other familiar ones not far away in a clearing.

Curiosity rose inside his chest and he felt the urge to finally shake off his guard without causing any suspicion. He slowly moved toward a giant tree, utilizing the natural curve of the path to disappear from the sight of his ANBU guard for a moment. The blond chuunin then channeled some of his chakra into the ground, creating a shadow clone under the roots of the tree, and replaced himself with it by way of a fast, unnoticeable Kawarimi while the tree shrouded his movements. His clone had continued on his way toward the Hokage monument, but after a short way it stopped, yawed, and change direction back toward his apartment followed by the fooled ANBU.

Naruto waited for long minutes until he was sure nobody was around and rose from the roots, casually swept some dirt from his clothes and headed toward his destination deeper into the woods. After some hesitant steps, he stopped and pulled out a tiny paper tag from his pocket with a small seal written on the center of it. If he was going to spy on his parents there was no way he'd let himself be found out. A thin layer of unsensible chakra spread across his body, a bit of insurance to mask his presence in addition to his hiding skills.

After ten minutes, he reached the margin of the small clearing, positioned himself on a tree, and checked his hiding place one more time before he forced his aching nerves to calm down. He felt guilty eavesdropping on his parents, but he couldn't suppress the urge to know as much about his family as possible. A warm smile appeared on his face when he glanced out from his hiding space and observed the scene in front of him.

The two fearsome shinobi, the Red-Hot Habanero and the Yellow Flash of Konoha, were lying on their backs in the middle of the clearing, watching the ink black sky and the faintly glowing stars above them together, whispering to each other, chuckling and stealing small kisses. Naruto couldn't get enough of the scene. Sure, he saw them together countless times but not in this discrete situation. His mother's gentle giggle echoed all around the clearing, warming him up from head to toe, but a small amount of shame never left his chest. He felt exactly like Jiraiya peeking on someone else, even when it's not nude women. The blonde slowly closed his eyes and leaned onto the hard surface of the tree, listening only to their voices.

"Are you sure you can't simply send an envoy?" Minato slowly turned to the slide to rest his head in his palm, watching Kushina with warm apologetic eyes.

"Sorry. It has to be me. We are going to hurry. I promise." The redhead let out a disappointed sigh.

"I hate when you are out of town."

"I also deserve to get some air outside the office, which still smells like tobacco, don't you think?"

"I know, but I'm worried."

"Hey! I'm not some pansy. I can take care of myself." Kushina stayed in silence for a long moment before she finally answered.

"I thought the same about Toroku." Naruto's chest squeezed, guilt and curiosity fought in silence but still an enormous battle in his mind. In the end curiosity became victorious, so he just stayed.

"Kushina-"

"I know! I'm just worried, worried about you two. Both of you can be so reckless sometimes."

"You also know that if he wasn't exhausted back then there is no way they could even lay a finger on him."

"But he was! And what if-"

"There will always be an IF." They stayed in silence for a long minute before Kushina finally broke it.

"It's good to see you two get along so well. I'm really glad you took my advice back then." A soft smile appeared on Minato's face.

"Yes, I'm also glad."

"It's hard to be an outsider. Start a new life while you are surrounded with total strangers. I know how he felt back then. At least I think I know. Our situations were very similar."

"Yes, but you two managed to adapt to the new situation. Well…mostly, when you two don't forget about yourselves." A furious, not so ladylike snort, a muffled thump and finally a painful yelp reached Naruto's ears and he had to suppress a chuckle that was ready to burst out.

"That hurts Kushina!"

"You deserved it dattebane!" They stayed in silence for a long minute, but in the end they both started to chuckle and shared a soft kiss.

"Doesn't Toroku remind you of someone Minato?"

"I don't know. Give me a hint."

"His determination, his stubbornness when he fights and never gives up, even when he is just about to drop from fatigue while training. His power to forgive. Just like in Jiraiya's book don't you think?" Naruto flinched and forced his muscles to stay still. Minato stared into the nothingness above Kushina's head for a very long moment before he slowly closed his eyes when he answered.

"You don't know how right you are." Kushina raised a curious eyebrow, but Minato shook his head, a soft smile on his face.

"You know Kushina, if I have a child I hope he or she will grow up to be just like the protagonist: Naruto. Or just like Toroku. But that name is already taken…What about Naruto?" Kushina let out a small chuckle.

"A shinobi just like them. Naruto…It's a beautiful name." A small smile appeared on Minato's face, while the eavesdropper's chest squeezed tighter than he thought was possible.

"And what if the first will be a girl?"

"That just won't happen. He will definitely be a boy."

"You wouldn't know it in advance you silly."

"Then just let's find out. What do you think?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about family. Let's have a family Kushina. Let's have a child." Kushina stayed in silence for a long minute, before her soft, but sad voice filled the clearance.

"Minato…I want to. But- You know what could happen. What if-"

"Just trust in me. I can take care of that little problem. Will you believe in me Kushina?" For a long, moment, nothing could be heard, only the leaves' soft ruffle as the warm breeze played with them.

"I believe in you Minato."

A soft, warm smile appeared on Naruto's face, and he simply left the clearing and his parents alone in the silver light of the full Moon as if he'd never been there.

* * *

The blond shinobi took a last look inside his small apartment, spread out a thin layer of chakra to map his surroundings and find his ANBU guard at a safe distance. He nodded to himself when he felt Minato disappear from his own apartment and his guard in the corner of the next house and immediately turned on his heels and marched inside his bathroom. At the moment he closed the door, a clone popped into existence.

"Stay hidden and do not threaten our incognito. If something happens, get rid of the barriers and immediately disperse yourself before they see you."

The clone made a short salute with two fingers and positioned himself on the floor in the corner of the small bathroom in a meditation stance. Naruto nodded, pulled out two scrolls from his backpack and rolled them open on the floor. He had prepared them in advance the days after he arrived back in Konoha from Kusa just in case, and now he was grateful for his foresight. One barrier seal, to mask the clone's presence and senjutsu chakra, not that anyone besides Jiraiya could sense it, but safety first. Another to hide him from the eyes, especially from the freaky eyes, in case a Hyuuga or one of the Uchiha got the urge to wander around his apartment and in his bathroom. A useful seal, he had developed it in the last months right after Madara… Naruto shook his head to clear his thought of the memories.

The soft, thin hair on his neck started to tingle when the first amount of natural energy flowed toward his clone, the skin around his replica's eyes already started to pick up the familiar orange shade. He channeled a massive amount of chakra into the first one and a golden barrier appeared around the clone, immediately masking the still flowing natural energy and his presence from his senses. Naruto nodded in his satisfaction and placed his hands on the next seal, repeating the hand signs, and the clone disappeared from his eyes together with the glowing barrier. He eyed the now empty corner, waving a hand toward the barrier which replied to the contact with a small wobble on the surface. The blond time traveler grimaced at the reaction. He really hoped nobody would come into his apartment while he was gone and try to walk inside the bathroom, especially not into that empty corner. If that happened…a shiver ran through his spine at the thought.

"**I don't think this is a good idea Naruto…"**

"We have to risk it and find that bastard as soon as possible before he can influence Obito and put his plan into motion."

"**This plan is still just too risky. Minato will come for you in ten minutes, he will find your seals and nothing will save your ass-, our asses if that happen.**

"No, he won't. Maybe he is better in everything else, but barriers are my specialty." Kurama let out a doubtful snort and rolled his giant eyeballs.

"**Do not underestimate the Yondaime Gaki."**

"I would never do that. I just hope he trust me. I didn't give any reason for that. Nor did Toroku."

"**You are gambling."** Naruto shrugged.

"I'll take every risk that is necessary to protect my precious people."

He turned around once more, closed the bathroom door and placed a tiny seal on the inside on the door handle, no bigger than the nail on his pinkie. A tiny, but useful security seal which would disappear and notify him if someone touched it. He hopped down on the couch and sank two small container scrolls inside his pouch, prepared and stuffed every necessary thing for the trip, including two dozen packs of instant ramen.

Naruto waited impatiently until he felt the familiar chakra signature of his father approaching his front-door, exactly a minute before eight o'clock. He didn't give the opportunity for him to knock as he had opened the door and noted the raised hand of the Hokage, ready to knock and the amused expression on his face. A satisfied and proud smirk appeared on his fine features at the scene.

"Fascinating as always." Naruto grinned from ear to ear, stepping out to close his door then seal away the small key into one of his container scroll and stuffed it back into place when he finished the process.

"So? Can we go?" A smile appeared on Minato's face and he placed his hands on the younger's shoulders, then disappeared with a golden flash, only to reappear in a blink at the village gates next to two stunned chunnin.

* * *

"You are an exhibitionist." Naruto pointed toward the big red kanji on the long white coat which slowly moved together with the rhythm of his father's silent and graceful footsteps. Minato looked back over his shoulder to find out what the hell he was talking about, and rolled his eyes when he realized.

"I'm not an exhibitionist. Think what you want, it still looks badass."

Naruto's eyes twitch at the statement, and brought back the memories of his own claret coat with the same black flame patterns on the edges and his orange clothes. He ran his fingers over the standard shinobi clothes he'd been wearing for months. He missed his old appearance, but a sudden change in his style would just raise suspicion on him and nothing more. Damn it.

"You are to. Are there any other Kage dancing around with a meter long title on their back?" Minato only shrugged and didn't respond and Naruto let out a defeated sigh. Actually he also thought it really looks badass…But for him, the best way the channel away some frustration is to poke at someone. And his father, at this moment, was the only target around.

They made their way toward the border of Wind at a leisure speed, their travel reminded him of the wandering he'd done with Jiraiya during the two and a half years while they trained and travelled all around Fire country and sometimes outside the borders. They finally reached a town on the road and Minato immediately aimed for the hotel next to a small hot spring. Hopefully not with the intent to peek...

* * *

Naruto sank down in the hot water, which relaxed his muscles more than he thought possible. The knots and the light weariness immediately melted away from his muscles when the water reached his spine. His blue eyes travelled to the other side of the small steaming pond, where his father enjoyed the same sensation, leaning onto the shore with his back, his eyes closed and his face mirrored complete relaxation and something that he couldn't identify.

The memories of the last night appeared in his mind, when his parents actually named him. Pride filled his chest when he thought back to the moment Kushina associated him with the protagonist. He watched his father, his golden hair framing his features in the same spiky way, defying the gravity even when it is heavy with water. The only difference with his own hair would be its length and the longer bangs framing his face on the side.

"Is there something on my face, or what?" Naruto's eyes twitched at being caught staring.

"No. You just look relaxed and…dunno. Maybe satisfied." A small smile appeared on Minato's face.

"I'm satisfied in more ways than you could imagine." Minato's smile grew into a cheeky grin, and he suddenly ducked under the hot water and let out a pleased moan when he reached the surface again. He finally opened his eyes and stretched out his arms behind his head.

"I think this was enough for me. I'm going to look like a wrinkled old man." Naruto snorted.

"You are an old man and-" He had to quickly duck underwater to avoid the incoming palm aimed toward the back of his head. He stayed down for a long moment and when his head finally burst through the calm surface of the pond to finally get some air, Minato was already gone. The young man let out a sigh and followed his father inside the hotel.

* * *

An hour later, they sat behind a counter, a third bowl of steaming ramen in front of Naruto, while Minato slowly sipped sake from a small white cup after he finished his own meal. The young village leader enjoyed the peace with closed eyes and the same relaxed and satisfied expression; his cheeks a tone redder than it is normal because of the amount of alcohol he already tucked away in his stomach.

"You know about the three shinobi rules don't you? One of them is to stay away from alcohol." Minato shrugged and took another sip before retorting his brother.

"Blame Jiraiya. You could be happy I'm not a pervert." A snort left Naruto, while Minato's eyes suddenly snapped open by a sudden idea and an odd grin spread across his face.

"So, Toroku, you've been in Konoha for almost four months..." The chuunin raised an eyebrow, not sure where his father was going with this.

"If we are talking about the shinobi rules. I'm just wondering that beside missions, driving your ANBU guard up the wall, peeking in hot springs and the obviously insane amount of training you are doing, is there something… someone else who raised your interest? A girl?" Naruto blinked. Then again. Then in the end he started to chuckle, then snicker, earning a lot of attention to their backs from the other guests. His laughter suddenly stopped, an annoyed grimace appeared on his face as he folded his arms across his chest defensively when something caught his attention.

"Hey! I'm not peeping in hot springs! And what's the sudden interesting in my love life?" Minato refilled his empty cup and immediately emptied it without a word after a quick, casual shrug and a smirk.

"Nothing special. I'm just curious. You are how old? Eighteen? Boys at your age should look for a companion from the other gender."

Naruto stayed in silence, suddenly lost in his thoughts. The annoyance was already gone, her azure blue orbs darkened to royal blue by sadness. Love… The image of his first crush popped inside his mind. The image of the pink haired kunoichi, who slowly become more likely a sister figure to him. And finally Hyuuga Hinata as she was standing above him, closing the distance between him and Pein with her own body. Her confession, his rage when he thought Pein killed her. The warmth of her hand in his own while they were fighting Madara and the juubi. And finally her eyes as she looked at him for the last time with a soft smile on her face. ...He shook his head to ease away his upcoming sorrow and clear his thoughts.

Eighteen years...well one year doesn't count does it? _'Where was I at my seventeenth birthday?'_ He searched through the memories of Toroku. They felt foreign, but still personal; distant, yet still close. They were just odd, like the memories of his Kage Bunshin's. He was able to read them and feel them, but at the back of his head, he knew he wasn't there they aren't actually his own. _'Oh. I know now. I was with them…_' He let out an amused snort in his mind. The tenth of October. The day when Minato had introduced him to the team, and Kushina had chosen a birthday for him. The same date as his real one. _'What a coincidence…or fate? Bullshit. I'm the one who will form my own life.'_

"**I don't want to disturb your **_**fascinating**_** thoughts, but I think someone is waiting for your answer." **Naruto blinked back to reality at Kurama's sarcasm and stared into the patient blue eyes in front of him and he gave an absolutely true answer.

"I don't think about girls. At least not now. Maybe a year or so later." The Hokage raised an eyebrow, but didn't make a comment. They stayed in silence for another long moment.

"When we get back, I'm going to propose to Kushina." Naruto blinked. Then again in his surprise at the sudden confession, then his mouth moved to a warm smile.

"I would love to see a cute boy with blue eyes in the next October. You would be perfect parents." A soft smile appeared on Minato's face.

"You think so?"

"Definitely." They stayed in silence for long minutes while Naruto finished his Ramen, and his father emptied the small bottle of sake and stretched his arms behind his head.

"I've got another bit of important business to finish when we get back to Konoha." The blond chuunin raised an eyebrow and curiously leaned a little bit closer to his companion.

"I will speak with Sarutobi and, despite what he wants, I'm going to cancel the surveillance on you. I made my decision a while ago. You earned our trust." Naruto stared into his fathers determined blue eyes for a long minute, looking for any tricks or second thoughts, but he found nothing. He couldn't force down the urge and he did the first thing that popped into his mind. He stood up and gave the deepest bow he could manage to the Hokage, who looked back at him with wide and shocked eyes.

"I would happily give my life for the village's sake. And for yours. I swear on my life that I will do nothing that could harm the people of Konoha dattebayo."

"Don't do that. Idiot. Just get up." A wide beaming smile appeared on the chuunin's face and he moved back to the counter followed by a dozen curious eyes around him. He could find the irritation in his father's azure blue orbs, but in the background he could also spot the awe, pride, satisfaction and the trust. Guilt filled his chest, then it was replaced by the overwhelming urge to confess everything, followed by the displeased murmuring of Kurama.

"**Don't do anything stupid Naruto."** A half smile appeared inside his head. _'I know…'_

"Also, we are going to move into the Hokage mansion. Sarutobi finally emptied it. If…If it's okay for you, I would like to offer a room for you. But only if you want it." The guilt increased, followed by shame, but he forced his face to stay warm and a smile to appear on his features.

"Can I think about it?" A small smile appeared on Minato's face and nodded. Naruto had to restrain a wince. His father professionally hid his disappointment, but he could still feel it in his eyes. He really wanted it. But if he moved in, he would have much less space to act freely.

"Of course. It's not an order or anything. And I fear your tic will increase if you two spend more time together." Naruto made a confused face. "You've been using your dattebayo more and more since you become closer to Kushina." _'...and since you came back from Kusa.'_ Minato added silently in his thoughts. The blond chuunin sent back a cheeky smile and shrugged. He was proud of his tic. Especially since he knew that his mother would do the same thing when she got excited.

They stayed in silence for a long moment, a big yawn left Minato's mouth and Naruto followed the example unconsciously.

"I think it's time for us to finally get to bed, don't you think Otouto?" Naruto gave an agreeing nod and the two blonds slowly headed toward the stairs, toward their room and their well-deserved dreams.

* * *

Naruto watched the horizon with the never-ending dunes. The soft curves of the granular ocean with giant and small waves of the golden sand. He could actually feel the azure blue eyes of his father on his back. He glanced up to the sun, not bothering himself with the stinging sensation when the hot beams reached his iris. At least it forced his memories away from his mind, memories which kept painfully tug at the back of his mind ever since they reached the Land of Rivers. The place where Akatsuki extracted Shukaku from Gaara. Where he died. Where he came back to life. Where he then…

Naruto shook his head violently and finally turned around and the two blond shinobi stepped onto the thin, almost invisible path which lead to the natural walls surrounding Sunagakure no Sato.

They reached the walls in three hours, stepping inside the narrow passage, the entrance to the Village, their movement were immediately followed by suspicious glances of the Suna shinobi around them even after Minato handed over the official invitation from the Fourth Kazekage. Naruto fixed his eyes on the road, not daring to look around, fearing to spot something which could push him over the edge. Too many of his loved ones died here.

They walked silently toward the center of the village, escorted by several jounin from Suna, Naruto's gaze was fixed on the dirt of the road, while Minato's eyes traveled on the seedy buildings, the weary streets and the closed shops, the adjective signs of the villages low economy which made his heart sink into pity.

A small amount of guilt appeared inside his chest; he was also responsible, at least remotely, for this. Konoha needed the funds from the missions, so the prices had been decreased to gain more commissions from the customers. Even the wind Daimyo asked for their help and services on countless occasion instead of the weakened Suna. He slowly shook his head to ease away the guilt which was slowly increasing inside him. He must look after the welfare of his own village. Konoha must be first, everything else must be only a second thought.

A small group of running children pushed him out of his thoughts, playing tag, laughing, unaware of the world around them. His azure blue eyes glanced toward his brother. The blond teen finally turned his head and his eyes locked for a moment before Naruto averted his gaze to linger on a weary shop then on a mendicant in the entrance of a small alley, then he returned his saddened eyes to to the dirt of the road after one last glance toward Minato.

The young leader had to restrain a wince. The memory of his brother's determination to save everyone regardless of where he or she came from forced itself inside the young Hokage's mind, and shame ran across Minato as the guilt raised again in his chest. Only one glance into his brother's sad eyes was enough for that.

Minato gratefully noticed that they had reached their final destination; the tower marked with the enormous Kanji of Wind above the entrance, and he stepped inside with a relieved sigh. They reached the door which lead inside the Kazekage's office, their escorts finally left them alone in the empty passageway in front of the wooden door. The Kage took his time inside the office just like last time, before he finally sent a guard to escort them inside. Minato gave a small nod greeting the leader politely, who returned the gesture just as lightly as Minato. No Kage would bow to another and submit to the other.

Naruto stepped inside the office trailing after Minato, fixing his eyes somewhere out the wide windows of the office, he greeted the Kage with a bow, and with every last bit of his self-control he finally forced his eyes to look into the eyes of the village leader. When their orbs finally met, Naruto forced his body not to flinch, when he noted the familiar features of his late friend. The same short and spiky auburn hair, the same face structure. He shook off the sorrow that was ready to burst out and forced his ripping chakra to calm down, which did not go unnoticed by the two leaders. However, fortunately, both had interpreted his reactions wrong.

The eyes of the Kazekage locked with Naruto's, then flickered to Minato and back to rest them on the blond chuunin. They were filled with suspicion, fixing him with a calculating gaze for a long minute until his stern face moved into a knowing half smile and finally turned his attention to the now irritated and inpatient Minato.

"Hokage-sama. I take you and your relative are weary after the long travel."

"I'm grateful for your worry Kazekage-sama, but this was just a small tour for us."

"You came with a very small delegation. If you had informed me, I would have gratefully sent an elite squad to escort you here."

"The shinobi of Konoha are strong. I came with the best bodyguard. Toroku-kun is one of our strongest."

Naruto watched in awe as the two powerful shinobi continued their veiled, yet obvious bickering. A small battle and power demonstration between two Kage. He listened to how they jabbed each other discretely, how they attack with words and deflect with sentences. How each tensed after a harsh comment of the other and how they relaxed their muscles after a well-spoken retort. This was really a battle of words. Naruto waited patiently in the background until the bloodless fight finally died down and ended in a tie as they eyed each other for a long silent minute until the Kazekage spoke, getting tired of the situation.

"Hokage-sama. Please excuse me, but my schedule is strict. My shinobi will escort you to your accommodation. We can continue our talk tomorrow."

"Kazegake-sama." Minato gave a nod, and the Kazekage returned it, after a short hand sign. A familiar Suna shinobi appeared beside them, the same who kept an eye on him almost continuously during their last visit. And also the same who fought next to Naruto and Gaara in the front line during the battle for Suna. However he couldn't remember his name.

* * *

Naruto watched the sleeping village from the balcony of their room. He had been leaning on the sill, his arms crossed while he rested his chin on them. He slowly closed his eyes and his mind gave up the fight to suppress his memories.

_Two figures were standing on an identical wide balcony, one in a torn yet still brilliant orange jumpsuit, and the other dressed in red, a giant gourd held to his back by leather strips. They stood there, silently, just enjoying each other's company without a word, watching the peacefully sleeping city under their feet._

"_I'm leaving tomorrow. I have to find him before he strike again." The Godaime Kazekage turned toward his companion and answered with a stoic but commanding voice._

"_You are staying here." A dubious and annoyed snort left Naruto's nose._

"_And what will you do? Ka-ze-ka-ge-sa-ma? You also know that you can't stop me anymore. I'm stronger than you." The stoic and stern expression melted away from Gaara's face as anger flushed through it._

"_Have you ever used your brain? What do you think what will happen to you if you march to him? You think this low of their sacrifice? Our sacrifice? My sacrifice? All of them died because of one cause. To protect you and you would just throw out everything because of your selfishness?" Naruto watched his usually stoic friend throw out his calm and almost emotionless shell, shouting out his tension._

"_Are you finished?" The words left Naruto's mouth in a low murmur._

"_No, I'm not even close to finished. Tsunade would-"_

"_You are finished dattebayo!" Naruto barked out, his voice was commanding, cutting off Gaara's sentence._

"_You still don't understand. You still don't understand a thing do you?" Gaara's voice was low and filled with disbelief, while he shook his head. "And what will you do? Tell me what you will do?!" Gaara barked out again, the once low tone in his voice nowhere to be found._

"_You are our last hope to stop him! You are powerful, surpassing everyone, but you also don't have a chance alone! You almost died last time and if Bee hadn't done what he did back then, you wouldn't be standing here! You will just march to your own death and serve our free will to him on a silver plate if Madara gets you! "The balcony suddenly illuminated by brilliant golden glow as pure chakra flames appeared on Naruto's body, once azure blue eyes glowed with a furious crimson red._

"_No. It is you, who doesn't understand a thing! I won't hide while everybody else is fighting! While everybody dies around me! I should be the one fighting out there, protecting you and everyone else, not vica versa dattebayo!" The two shinobis stared at each other without a word, without moving for a long tense minute._

"_You will stay here. I will force you if I have to." With this last statement, the Godaime Kazekage turned around and left the balcony without a word or looking back. Naruto stared at his friend's back as he walked away, the golden chakra slowly fading away from his form, together with his anger._

* * *

Naruto felt a familiar presence behind him, slowly approaching him, kicking him out from his thoughts. He didn't look back, he just stayed still until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

"What's with the long face Otouto?"

"Just thinking."

"About what?" Naruto let out a long and weary sigh. How on earth could he tell him something like this? Instead he straightened himself and stretched out his numb arms, desperately trying to find something in his mind to answer his father.

"Things…" Minato raised an eyebrow.

"**You are pathetic Naruto."** Kurama snorted and Naruto grumbled back an answer in his mind. _'Not that you gave me any better idea.'_

"About what kind of things?" Naruto shrugged casually, still carefully avoiding his father's eyes.

"You know…things. Life, death. Stuff like that." They stayed in silence for a long moment, not knowing what to say to each other in the unusually serious atmosphere.

"If-If you could change things. If you got an opportunity to go back in time and change things in your life, what would you do?"

"**You are on thin ice, Naruto." **Naruto made a mental shrug.

'_Come on. It's just some fun. Furthermore there is no sane human who would seriously link it with me.'_

"You are in a really serious mood." Minato folded his arms and closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. "Well, theoretically if I could go back in time, I would do nothing differently."

Naruto frowned. "You could save your family."

"Every move, every single act affects our lives. Not just ours, but everyone's, whether near or far away from us. Even the bad things. Nothing would be the same if I didn't lose my family. Maybe a lot of people would die because of my actions. Maybe Konoha would lose the war and I wouldn't become Hokage, and maybe I'd never have a relationship with Kushina or meet you. There are so many consequences of just one simple act that it makes my head hurt."

"And what if you could, for example, prevent the Third Shinobi War? If you had the knowledge to stop it before it happens and save thousands of lives?" Minato stayed in silence for a long minute, lost in his thoughts, before he answered.

"I don't think anyone could bear such a burden and stay sane. I'm sure I would start hearing voices in my head pretty soon." A nervous chuckle left Naruto's mouth, earning a raised eyebrow from the Hokage. The chuckle grew into laughter by the irony, even the all mighty nine tailed fox snickered inside his mind.

"What did I say that is so funny?" The chunnin waved a hand, turned around while still chuckling continuously, and left the confused Minato alone. He leaned onto the doorframe and look back over his shoulder after he finally gathered himself.

"Thanks. You really fixed my mood." Minato shook his head, then shrugged and followed the once again chuckling chuunin inside the apartment.

* * *

They arrived at the tower a little bit early, so they had enough time to observe the going and coming villagers and shinobi. Minato leaned against the wall of the tower, and folded his arms in front of his chest, his blue eyes fixed on the people of Suna. He received suspicious gazes, and some of the younger shinobi literally fled the vicinity as soon as they realized who they'd just passed. Naruto stood next to their ever present escort, the man with red markings on the right side of his face, while the left was covered by the sheet of his turban like headdress with Suna's symbol. Naruto watched him from the corner of his eye curiously, his arms folded behind his neck casually. The shinobi stood calm, with closed eyes but time to time glanced toward Naruto with irritation. _'Well, curiosity killed the cat, but I can't stand it anymore.'_ But before he could act, the opportunity was out of his hands.

"Don't stare at me like that."

"I'm just thinking. You will be our personal escort for the rest of our stay? Just like before?" The shinobi nodded, but the irritation never left his eyes.

"Can you tell us your name? It wouldn't be nice if I just call you shinobi-san would it."

"My name is Baki. You can use that." Naruto grinned in his satisfaction and stepped to his father, who fixed his azure eyes on a group of fresh genin. The Hokage stretched his limbs and turned to their escort.

"I think it's almost time. We should go inside Baki-san." The shinobi made a small bow and they approached the gates.

Ten minutes later, the office door of the Kazekage finally opened, and they stepped inside where Minato immediately greeted the Kage with a slight nod, while Naruto gave a formal bow and soon moved to the background, silently listening to their conversation about the details of the alliance between Suna and Konoha. The fourth Kazekage was really a hard nut to crack. He was a bull-headed person, who would do anything for the welfare of his Village. The biggest point during their conversation was the assignments from the Wind Daimyo, and they had avoided a real loud argument only by an inch. Naruto watched the conversation in awe, forcing his brain to understand as much from the small indications as he could, for future use. However his determination slowly started to wear off when the negotiations calmed down, not to mention boring political subjects had taken over. He soon lost track of the time, his breathing slowed down and his mind drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Minato's eyes wandered to the twitching dark eyes of the Kazekage and noted that his gaze was pinned behind him, the exact same spot where his younger brother intended to stay still in the background, the same person who swore to everything that morning that he wouldn't cause any trouble during the negotiations if he could attend. The Hokage let out a weary sigh and closed his eye for a moment, before he turned around to spot the lightly snoring blond chuunin in the chair, slightly leaning his head against the wall. He turned back to the Kazekage, made a small excusing nod and stood up with the intent to channel some of his frustration onto his newly found relative.

Before he could reach him, the door softly opened and a small, blond girl stepped inside the office, without a word, staring at Minato with wide eyes. Then in the next second for his biggest surprise, the child stepped in front of him, and tugged his white cloak.

"Hi! Did you bring me chocolate again?" The confused Minato glanced to the Kazekage, whose stern look started to crack, as he let out a long sigh and shook his head. Minato turned back to the child, who narrowed her eyes as she examined his face, then stepped backward hesitantly.

"You aren't Kitsune-san." Minato's eye twitched. How on earth? Finally the Kazekage raised his voice and the small child immediately stiffened when she realized she did something wrong.

"Temari. Go back home! And where is Yashamaru?" A sleepy yawn could be heard from the corner, where the blond chuunin finally started to wake up from his nap by the raised voice. After a few blinks, Naruto noted the scene with his sheepish mind. Temari, still gripping Minato's cloak, the irritation in the Kazekage's eyes, the confused and surprised look on his father's face. A panting young man maybe in his twenties joined them in the office, with wide fearful eyes.

"Kazekage-sama. I'm sorry, I just turned around for a minute and then…I told her she couldn't come in." Minato started to chuckle at the irrational scene and he crouched down to the small child in front of him. He could feel the eyes of the Kage, and the hidden bodyguards' at his back.

"I'm sorry. I haven't got any chocolate. Maybe you should ask my brother over there. I'm sure he is the one you are looking for. Look after him for me will you?" The expression on Minato's face was soft and warm toward the girl, while Naruto stepped toward the child, followed by the stern eyes of the Kazekage. He glanced toward the Suna leader, remembering their last conversation to stay away from her and after receiving a small agreeing nod, he also crouched down next to Minato.

"Temari-chan, It's time for both of us to leave I think." The small girl nodded hesitantly, grabbed his hand, and after a bow toward the leaders they approach the door together with the troubled man.

"Toroku…" The blond teen stopped at the door and turned back to his father.

"We will meet back in the accommodation." The Hokage's smile was soft and warm, however the blue eyes glanced toward the blond teen with a dangerous spark. A spark which demanded a thorough explanation once they were together again about him revealing his identity to a child. Naruto gulped and nodded in understanding, and the only expression he could push on his face was a miserable smile. When the door finally closed the Kazekage let out a weary sigh, while Minato occupied his previous place in the chair.

The two leaders shared a knowing glance for a second before they continued like nothing had interrupted their previous talk. However…the mood was visibly lighter between the two young leaders.

* * *

Naruto was literally dragged through the village by the small child, until they finally reached their destination and the blond boy could finally straighten from the crouch position he was forced in by Temari. They were standing in front of a large house, not far from the city center, together with the obviously nervous young man, with sandy-brown hair and big blue eyes.

"Temari-chan. I have to get back to my place."

"Father told me to go home." The small child tugged his hand one more time, pulling him toward the wooden entrance.

"Temari-chan, I can't go in. Your father is going to kill me. So will Minato if he doesn't find me in our accommodation when they finish." A shudder ran through Naruto's spine when he thought back the demanding eyes of the Hokage. He hesitantly turned toward the other man with pleading eyes, asking for help, when the door slowly opened and a very similar person glanced down at the scene, at her small child dragging a blond young man toward their door, followed by her troubled brother.

"Temari! What are you doing?"

"I visited father."

"And why are you dragging that boy?"

"Because the other he told me he got my chocolate and to look after him and father told me to go home." The woman raised a confused eyebrow, and Naruto finally freed himself from the small hands and bowed to the woman.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have to go."

"Kitsune-san! The other you told me, that you got chocolate. I trained. Really hard. And I can smell the chocolate on you!" The woman narrowed her eyes at her child's behavior.

"I'm sorry shinobi-san. I apologize for her behavior."

"It's Toroku. Odoroki Toroku." Naruto gave a low bow and a small smile toward the woman. The seal will be placed soon. Maybe it was already placed…He couldn't restrained himself anymore, his blue orbs moved toward her big round tummy, with Gaara, while the woman's eyes moved toward the Hitai-ate on his forehead with the proud insignia of Konoha.

"You were the one with the fox mask two months ago." The blond teen nodded, and his azure eyes looked with the curious look at the young woman. "Temari-chan talked a lot about you. My name is Karura, Toroku-kun. It's a pleasure to meet you." Temari's mother gave a polite nod. "Why don't you come in? I'm sure Temari would be happy." Naruto made a surprised face and looked down into the pleading and sparkling eyes of Temari. The blond teen made a small bow and an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. But I don't think your husband would appreciate that. Nor would my Hokage." The woman sent him back a warm smile.

"Let me handle that." Naruto glanced around, looking for help, but in the end he just hesitantly nodded and they stepped inside the house, together with the nervous sandy-brown haired man.

"I don't think it's a good idea sister." The woman let out a sigh.

"It's fine Yashamaru. Furthermore it is a good opportunity to strengthen the alliance if the families of the two Kage know each other a little bit more. Don't you think Toroku-kun?" Naruto frowned. He hadn't said anything about his relationship with Minato.

"I- How did you know?" The woman smiled, as they finally settled down in the living room, on two big couches.

"It's quite obvious." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, yes. We do look quite alike." Temari moved closer to Naruto, and after a long hesitant moment, she poked him on the arm.

"Kitsune-san, where is your mask?" A soft smile appeared on Naruto's face at the childish curiosity on Temari's face. On the face, which in the past mostly looked back at him with the same stern expression as her father's.

"I had to give it back, when we arrived home."

"Why?"

"Because I don't need it anymore."

"Why?" Naruto looked toward Karura for help, but before he could answer, Temari suddenly changed the topic.

"You look better. So, it worked? You don't have those bad dreams anymore?" A warm smile appeared on Naruto's face and he ruffled the blond locks of the small child, to her annoyance.

"Yes, it worked. Thanks to you."

"Then can I get my chocolate?" A soft chuckle forced itself out and Naruto dug both hands into his pockets. When he pulled his hands out they were clenched into fists, concealing their content from the curious girl's eyes.

"You can have it, if you pick the right hand. So which one?" Temari made a wondering look, leaned her head to the side, and sniffed into the air lightly. After a long minute, she slowly poked toward his left hand. Naruto opened it with a chuckle and handed over the small sweet to the girl, who reached out without hesitation.

"I'll go and find Kankuro. You have to meet him too!" Temari rushed out from the room immediately, leaving a stunned Naruto and her softly smiling mother.

"You know, Toroku-kun, you've made a big impact on her. She frequently mentions you."

"I didn't do anything." A soft smile appeared on her face in response.

"Maybe. Being the Kage's child or relative is a hard task. Especially for a child. Her father and the village put high expectations on her." Naruto nodded in his understanding. At the thought of how his life would have been different if his father and mother had been alive. He wouldn't have be the dead-last back then. He let out a weary sigh.

"I don't know. But I could imagine. I haven't been aware about my relation with Minato until recently." Not a total lie. He didn't know about his heritage until the battle with Pein. Karura didn't push the subject, seeing his uneasy attitude around it, but he noted the suspicious glances from Yashamaru.

"Minato is a good man and the best brother I could ask for. And he is a good leader. I know the alliance will be fruitful for both of our nations." The woman nodded with a soft smile, but she suddenly flinched and the two men turned to her with worried look, but she only waved a hand and chuckled.

"It's okay. It's just the baby kicked. Ohh. Once more." Naruto curiously leaned closer, spreading out his senses, and he finally spotted another fast heartbeat. A soft warm smile spread across his face, but soon the warm sensation was replaced with worry for his not yet born friend.

"It's okay really." Karura seemed to misread his expression, she confidently stood up and sat down next to the blond teen and grabbed his hand.

"Here." She gently placed his shaking hand onto her round tummy, followed by the worried and suspicious glance from her brother. They stayed in complete silence, and Naruto felt himself more and more awkward, not sure what was going to happen, his hand on the Kazekage's wife's round stomach. _'Oh boy. I hope they are still talking. It would be a pain in the ass to explain what I am doing here like this.'_ At that moment, he felt a small poke on his palm. Then another one. A wide smile spread across his face, and he slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the small life under his palm. He could sense the vibration as Gaara's small body moved, he could hear the fast heartbeats. Suddenly an uneasy feeling struggled itself into his brain.

"**I could feel you! I know you are out there! I'm going to kill you Kyuubi!"** So it's already done… Naruto let out a weary mental sigh.

"**Not that you could Shukaku…"**

"**You bastard! Sooner or later I'll get rid of my pathetic vessel and then…Ku ku ku. I'll show you how strong I am."** Naruto closed out the loud argument inside his mind, at least he tried with less success. He could still hear the two bijuu, hissing curses at each other at the back of his head. He didn't know that the seal was this weak. That it allowed Shukaku's thoughts to break through this easily. And the consequences will be fatal for Gaara's mental progress. Naruto could finally understand Gaara's early behavior, amazed of his strength to live together with Shukaku, with his bloodlust and with his insane thoughts.

'_Would you two stop dattebayo?'_

"**Don't intermeddle!"** The two tailed beast barked out together, agreeing for a short moment, before they continued insulting each other like nothing had interrupted them. Naruto let out a mental sigh and immediately started to look for the invisibly seal and when he found it and examined the design Naruto flinched almost unnoticeable and unconsciously started to frown. _'That is worse than I first thought.'_

"Toroku-kun. Are you alright?" Naruto was finally slapped back to reality and looked around himself, noted the confused eyes around him and he immediately released the tummy of Karura.

"I'm sorry. I kind of spaced out a little." A half smile appeared on the woman's face, and she nodded, but his brother looked at him with cold, suspicious eyes.

"I'm afraid I really have to leave. It was a pleasure to meet you." He stood up almost immediately and bowed.

"I understand. It was our pleasure Toroku-kun. Yashamaru, could you please escort him to the door?" The young man nodded, stood up and the two men walked to the exit. Naruto stepped out, but before he left the stairs, he felt a hard hand on his shoulder and he immediately tensed, before turning around.

"If you, or your Hokage, ever try to harm my sister or her children, I will kill you. Remember that." The blond boy raised an eyebrow at the brazen threat toward him and Minato, but in the end he nodded.

"I understand. But you don't have to worry. I want only the best for them." Yashamaru narrowed his eyes, and never took his eyes off Naruto's back while he left without any further word.

Naruto walked back to their accommodation silently, lost in his thoughts, wondering about Gaara, the seal, and how the hell he could help his future friend.

* * *

Minato stepped inside the large living room, ready to chew his younger brother out. When he spotted him on the large couch he made a satisfied mental smirk and stepped closer to demand an explanation how on earth could the Kazekage's four years old daughter know his face. He stepped in front of the teen, whose head flung freely between his shoulders, staring at the floor, his blue eyes, which almost continuously shone with vim and sauciness were now puzzled and worried. The blond boy in front of him was obviously locked inside his own head, inside his thoughts, not aware of his presence.

The urge to scold him immediately melted away as he sat down next to him, and slowly shook his shoulder. The teen flinched and looked around with wide and surprised eyes, when he finally spotted his curious and concerned blue eyes.

"I don't think you are worried because I was about to scold you. What's the matter Toroku?"

Naruto looked back for a long minute, lost in the identical azure blue ponds. _'I can't do this alone.'_

"**Naruto! Don't blow your cover and concentrate on finding Madara. Don't risk this now. You can take care of it later, when we get rid of that damn Uchiha."**

'_I-I can't. '_

"**Then do it alone!"**

'_And how on earth are you thinking I can to do this alone? How? What do you think I should do? Sneak inside while they are sleeping and try to fix the seal alone? I can't do it without Minato. I need him. I need his knowledge. I can't fix that damn seal alone.'_

"**You are walking on thin ice again. How will you explain away your knowledge about Shukaku?"**

'_I need him. I just need him.'_ Naruto heard the defeated sigh of Kurama, and the angry mumble about him and idiotism, but he ignored it all. He needed to concentrate on the problem at hand. Leaving his mindscape, the blond boy took out a small paper tag from the pouch secured to his leg, placed it on the table and activated the privacy seal in total silence, before turning to the Hokage to meet narrowed eyes.

"I gathered some…sensitive information today. Suna got the one tailed beast." Minato let out a sigh and rubbed his bridge.

"We already know about that. Don't bother yourself about it. How do you even find out about it?" He licked his dry lips, gathering his thoughts before he finally replied to his father.

"I met with his jinchuuriki." A cold shiver ran through his spine as his own words reached his ears. _'Jinchuuriki'_ He hated that word. It's meaning, human sacrifice… Even how it sounds. Minato looked back at him for a long, silent minute, his face was expressionless, but Naruto was sure the thoughts raced inside his head with insane speed.

"Are you sure in this?" Naruto nodded.

"I'm absolutely sure dattebayo." Minato let out a weary sigh and leaned back on his couch.

"We know about it, but we didn't know they already sealed it away into a human." Minato slowly shook his head. "This could be a serious problem in the future." Naruto nodded, waiting patiently for him to continue, examining his reactions. But when it didn't happen he opened his mouth.

"It will be a long time, until the child could use Shukaku's power. But…" The blond teen closed his eyes, gathering his every thought.

"Minato…The seal is weak. I felt it. It could break anytime. We can do something about it." The Hokage narrowed his eyes, and leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded fingers, for a long silent minute.

"You are suggesting for me to convince the Kazekage to let me fix the seal, and hand over to him a future asset and a possible threat toward Konoha." Naruto felt his eyes twitch, and anger rose inside his chest, but he finally forced his nerves to calm down.

"I am talking about a child's life! An innocent child's future! It's going to break, or drive the child into insanity in the end!" Minato stiffened on the couch by the tone and what had just been spoken, while Naruto let out a sigh.

"I understand your anxiety for Konoha. Think in a different way. Sand will owe Konoha, and you would also show your intentions to build a strong alliance. You could save the Kazekage's child from dying, or going insane." Minato raised an eyebrow.

"The Kage's child? The blond girl?" Toroku slowly shook his head.

"No. Temari is an absolutely normal child. A little arrogant, but still cute child. I met the Kazekage's wife today. The child in her womb. That child is the jinchuuriki of Shukaku." The Hokage's eyes widened with shock. _'An unborn child…Oh Kami…'_

"How did you notice it?"

"I heard him…I heard Shukaku when I touched Karura." Minato raised a doubtful eyebrow.

"That's impossible. You can't hear a bijuu, just by a mere touch. Even you can't do that with your sensing skills."

"I know what I heard dattebayo!"

"This is just speculation. There is no way you could have heard it by a mere touch."

**"Brat, don't do what I think you are going to do!"**

'_Just let me handle it Kurama.'_ Naruto let out a sigh.

"I know about her...I know about the Kyuubi inside Kushina." Minato froze, his muscles tensed and he distantly felt his hands start to squeeze his knees and his joints became white by the force. Naruto watched the Hokage, his muscle relaxed, his voice and his core calm, to show Minato there is nothing to be afraid of. The blond teen let out a weary sigh and rubbed his temple.

"Look Minato. You know firsthand how hard the life of a jinchuuriki is, no matter where he or she grows up. They are hated, feared and shunned when their identity is public. Kushina is fortunate because of you, because of the Sandaime who granted incognito for her status. What do you think, how will this child grow up, hearing the continuous mumbling of a tailed beast inside his head? How would they hide his identity if he lost control on Shukaku's bloodlust and go berserk in the center of the village?" Minato's tensed muscles started to relax, as his frozen mind finally start working again, chewing and weighing every word of his brother.

"We talked about my goals, the waves in the ocean. Hereby I try to convince you to help me bring peace, be the second drop of water and save the future of a child." The Hokage let out a weary sigh and buried his face inside his palms for long silent minutes. Nothing could be heard inside the still glowing barrier. Even if it were not present, the village around them would be in complete silence, as if the world around them also knew how important the decision about to be made is.

"Toroku…The Kazekage would never agree with that. He will never reveal the jinchuuriki officially and especially won't allow me or you to have even a glance at the seal."

"Let me talk to him. I can convince him." Naruto let out a weary sigh, while his father started to massage his forehead, to ease away his starting headache.

"I will attend. You won't do it alone and I will immediately step in if I think it necessary."

"Thank you." Naruto gave a small bow with his head, while Minato let out a weary sigh.

"You are really taking this save the world thing seriously, aren't you?" A foxy grin appeared on the whiskered face.

"I never go back on my word dattebayo." With this last statement, Naruto left the room without any further explanation. His movement was followed by the azure blue eyes of his father, filled with pride and awe and with the hope that maybe his child really will grow up in a better world.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

As always feel free to point out any missed mistakes, so I can correct them.

It's time for some significant changes and it's time for you to know a little bit more from the "future" Naruto came from. And also you can find a significant hint about who Naruto will face in the future.

The time has come. I have been trying to adapt to the new happenings in the manga until now and change or rewrite the already finished upcoming chapters, but I'm going to ignore what happened from chapter 629. It would mess up my whole plot about Naruto's past/future. Please deal with it.

By the way. What are you thinking about Rin's death and the very yellow yellow flash? Because I really don't like those two twists.

Some timeline info to clear up some confusion: in this story as you can see, Naruto turned seventeen some months ago. I assume that he is about sixteen and a half in the current manga chapters. If it's not true, deal with it please. I use Narutopedia for any data check. If you know a better and more punctual source also let me know. :)

**Story recommendations:**

**The pain of a new day **by **Solara Myles**

Kakashi knew that going after Sasuke was a bad idea. He hadn't planned on Naruto dying, nor on Sasuke letting him live. Now the remainder of the Shinobi World desperate and close to extinction want to use use a newly created Naruto as a human weapon against Sasuke. Only Kakashi can't seem to accept that. So he takes the child and goes to the only place he'll be safe, the past. (A lot of emotional struggle, a little (okay a very) insane Kakashi, mixed with Minato and time travel. This story deserves much more attention, I just love the plot.)

**A Testament of Things that Never Will** by **Unbiased Abyss **

How will the world change when a battle hardened Naruto from the future comes to the past? With a change of name and appearance this old Naruto will help the Naruto of this new Konoha become the shinobi he was destined to be all the while trying to fit into this new world where those he knew as dead are alive and well. Time travel fic. Will change summary in the future. (Its very similar to some existing stories, where Naruto helpt ot his own self to become stronger, but I still like it.)

**A Promising Future from the Past** by **Narukyuubimode**

Naruto's transported away from the Fourth Great Ninja War back to the time of the Kyuubi attack. With his knowledge of the nearing future, will he be able to have his younger self repeat the trials while he changes his future for the better? Or will things only go wrong the second time around? (Another time travel fic. :) They just keep to appear and I'm addicted to them. :) A little similar to some existing one also.)

**On Chance** by **Sylandria**

When Rokudaime Hokage Naruto has a feeling he needs to search for something in Hokage Vault, he goes after it. Never in his, nor his reunited team's, wildest dreams would he find a Command of Time seal that would take him back to two years before his birth. Here he, with a little help from said team, would get the chance of a lifetime. (Team seven in the past.)

Oh, yeah, and I'm still looking for the fic I had mentioned earlier. In which Minato travels to the future when he sealed away Kurama, to a Konoha lead by the Uchiha. He found himself in the middle of a rescue mission to free Naruto, who is a prisoner. I tried every community and every way in google to find it, but...


	15. Chapter 15 – Tanuki and Blue Globe

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies I don't know.

I would like to ask a burst of applause for my fantastic beta readers: **ImaginationJunkie1412** and **Skyisthelimit**.

**Original upload date: 09. June 2013  
**

**Last update: **

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 15. – Tanuki and Blue Globe**

* * *

_Everything seemed to stop for a second. Birds appeared to freeze in flight against the blue sky. A lonely azure butterfly stopped in midair. The sounds of nature died down, leaving nothing, only dead silence all over the shores of the never ending desert. The frozen moment suddenly disappeared with an enormous explosion, burying every living thing under dust, soil and sand near the epicenter._

"_Gaara!" A flash of gold appeared next to the Godaime Kazekage, painting his lean form in a golden glow. Dilated and crimson red eyes locked with green orbs, while the golden flames danced in the reflection of the leader's eyes._

"_Where is he?!"_

"_We haven't spotted Madara yet, Naruto."_

"_He has to…show…himself…soon." The gold aura slowly faded away, leaving the weary, heavily breathing form of Naruto. The blond wiped the sweat from his forehead, while his eyes surveyed the desecration in front of him._

"_We can't hold on for too long. It became stronger with the eight tails. How is the nine tails?"_

"_Kurama...needs...more time." The panting slowly died down and the blond boy nodded to something only he could hear, before biting his fingertip and running through a long chain of hand signs._

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"__With a loud puff and an enormous amount of smoke filled with chakra, three giant figures popped into existence. The three giant toads each had a pair of clones on its head - one already in meditation to gain energy from nature,_

_and one observing the battle not far away from them._

"_Guys! We need to buy time for Kurama!" The three toads nodded and almost immediately jumped into the middle of the fight, toward the giant monster called the ten tailed beast._

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto jerked up from his bed, desperately trying to catch his breath for a long minute before his pounding heart finally settled down and his panting subsided. The blond left his sweat-soaked bed and headed to the bathroom to clean his face and clear his thoughts. The first beams of sunlight reached the small bathroom window, reflecting off of the small mirror in front of him. The blond eyed his own reflection with a foggy brain when his thoughts wandered back to the battle in the Land of Rivers near Suna's borders, almost exactly where Gaara had died for the first time. Naruto shook his head, easing away the last bits of his nightmare and his memories.

Ten minutes later, he settled himself down on the rooftop of their accommodation, watching as the rising sun slowly warmed the freezing cold of the desert night, enjoying the first warm beams on his skin. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, behind the giant walls around the Village. The walls that hadn't lasted long against the destruction and the unnatural power of the ten-tailed beast. In the end they, along with the buildings, streets and countless numbers of shinobi and civilians, became one with the endless sand of the desert around Sunagakure no Sato in the heart of Wind Country.

'_I will repay my debt, Gaara. Believe it! I will repay!'_ The faint rumbling of Kurama didn't reach his consciousness. He just buried himself in his thoughts and for long hours stayed still, watching the horizon, the rising sun, and the slowly awakening village under his feet in complete silence.

* * *

Awkward silence filled the office, the stoic and stern face of the Yondaime Kazekage disturbed only by a small twitch of his dark eyes.

"And why would I grant a private audience to a shinobi of Konoha?" the Kazekage drawled. Minato stepped next to Naruto in support and to show that he was there if he need help, and a quick glance over his shoulder eased away his concern as he looked into the confident and determined eyes of his brother.

"Kazekage-sama, I request a private audience with you in order to talk about a very sensitive matter. Other than Hokage-sama, no one can be present." The leader's dark eyes twitched again and filled with irritation. He folded his arms in front of his chest, obviously trying to avoid the talk.

"You can talk freely in front of my guards. Unless this sensitive matter is for your own sake."

"The information concerns you Kazekage-sama."

The stern mask melted away in one blink, revealing the leader's surprise, anger, irritation and curiosity, before it was back again in another blink. "What could you know about the leader of Sand that can't be discussed in front of my shinobi?"

"With all due respect, Kazekage-sama, don't misunderstand my objective. I want to protect the future of a child, not _your _reputation, with the privacy." The leader eyed the two blonds in front of him - one a confident young man, the other the Hokage of Konoha, who was silently waiting in the background but still ready to interfere. His thoughts travelled with insane speed inside his head for a long, silent minute before he interrupted it.

"So be it. I will be generous." Naruto made a deep bow and took out a small paper tag, marked with a privacy seal, from his pouch.

"If you'll allow me Kazekage-sama." He gestured to the seal. "Not that I don't trust the privacy seals in this office, but I'd like to use my own ones just to be safe." The leader nodded, and Naruto immediately channeled some chakra into the small piece of paper, activating the seal. Their picture became foggy from the outside, while their voices were immediately locked inside the barrier. The blond boy glanced toward his leader, who motioned to continue with a small nod.

"We know about the one-tailed beast and its jinchuuriki."

The Kage's dark eyes flashed dangerously, and his muscles tensed. "And how did you gather this kind of information?"

Naruto shook his head. "Our methods are not relevant Kazekage-sama. All that matters is the fact that Suna possesses the power of a bijuu."

"So does every other nation, including Konoha. I won't hand over the one-tail to you, no matter what you offer for it."

Naruto narrowed his azure eyes. "That is not why we are here. And remember, we are talking about a human being, a child, not some item on the market." The blond let out a breath to ease away his rising anger, before he continued.

"The seal is weak." The leader of the Sand frowned, eyeing the young man from head to toe, before his gaze moved toward the still silent Hokage.

"The seal is strong enough. My best sealmaster made it."

Naruto ran his fingers through his blond locks and let out a frustrated groan. _'Strong enough, my ass.'_

"No offense Kazekage-sama, but the one who made the seal, in a word, sucks." Minato's eye visibly twitched at the saucy and impolite statement, and so did the other leader's, whose anger started to rise after the stab at his pride.

"How dare you criticize my people? You don't know what you are talking about! You can't even prove your point."

"Tell your sealmaster that the nature elements on the meridian are unbalanced. This is the main cause that allows Shukaku to influence the vessel's mind. He or she will understand, as long as we are talking about a real sealmaster. The seal is weak. It could break at any time, and it will allow Shukaku to affect the child, perhaps even push him into insanity. The one-tail has a very wicked…personality. His bloodlust will influence the child in the future without a doubt. I am offering you our help, to fix the design - free of charge." The leader of the Sand narrowed his eyes and ran his dark irises one more time over the men in front of him, his thoughts racing.

"The Yondaime Hokage is a seal master. So am I. We can fix the design and save your child's life and sanity."

A disbelieving snort slipped out of the collected man's mouth. "If I agree to this, I am essentially handing over to you the jinchuuriki of Suna, along with the seal's design and thereby the key to getting your hands on the one-tailed beast. Its value is too large to the village for such a risk."

Naruto felt his eyes twitch while anger rose in his chest, making his muscles tense visibly as fury started to overwhelm him. He unconsciously squeezed his hands into fists, and in the back of his mind he could feel a small amount of pain as his nails dug into the soft flesh of his palms.

"You are speaking about your own child, dattebayo! The future of your own child is in your hands, and you are talking about values? You are this village's leader, yes, but you are also the father of this child! We are here to build a strong alliance, to help you out, yet you would throw away this opportunity because you think your secret seal weighs more than the life and sanity of your _own_ child? The seal isn't just weak; it threatens Karura's life too, because it leaches chakra from her own system. It could be deadly during the birth...for both of them!" The Kazekage froze, while his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"If you value your village, your people, then you must value your child, because he is one of them. You can't disregard a life this easily. The offer is open indefinitely, but we are running out of time. Think over carefully what you could do for the village and for your own conscience. Don't do something you would regret later."

Naruto turned around and marched out of the office, followed by the stunned Hokage, and the privacy seal was dismissed as soon as he crossed over it. His chest rose and fell heavily; he could feel his pulse pound against his temples as anger started to cloud his mind, but he restrained the red fury boiling inside his veins from bursting out with his last ounce of control. _'How could he…How could he be so stubborn!? Risking his wife, his own child, for a village secret that's not even a secret!?'_

"**Calm down or we are going to reveal ourselves. You are on the verge of leaking out my chakra."**

Naruto suddenly stopped in the middle of the spacious square and let out a long breath, forcing out his anger with minimal success. He felt a stabbing gaze on his back, and he wasn't surprised to spot the narrow eyes of the Kazekage in the window when he looked over his shoulder. He didn't avert his burning blue gaze, not even when he felt a calming palm on his shoulder, and finally the Kage stepped back, breaking their connection.

"You did well, Toroku. Though your diplomacy needs some work…A lot of it. But you successfully made your point, and I think...he heard you." Naruto finally looked away from the empty window and let out a weary sigh.

"I think I ruined today's schedule."

"Not that I'm disappointed about it." The Hokage shrugged and grinned, and the blond boy finally allowed his tensed muscles to relax as his anger and frustration slowly faded away.

"Come. I think it would be best if we go back to our accommodations. But first, let's pick up something to eat."

Naruto answered with a wide grin as his stomach give him away with a loud rumble. The two blond shinobi left the square, a dozen suspicious and nervous glances from various corners and shadows following them.

* * *

A short knock on the wooden door disturbed Naruto's nap after the not-so-light lunch. Without opening his eyes he noted the person in front of the door. Baki. Another short knock echoed inside the room, and the blond finally got up from the comfortable couch and moved toward the impatient shinobi.

"My apologies for the disturbance, but Kazekage-sama would like to see you immediately." Naruto nodded in understanding, closed the door and shared a glance with Minato, who had finally stuck his head out from his own bedroom, where he had locked himself up an hour ago to do whatever he was doing.

"That was quite fast…"

The chuunin nodded and let out a nervous sigh. "Let's go."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the two blond shinobi stood in front of a long wooden table, the younger obviously nervous and impatient, while the older had a stoic expression on his fine features. The only thing which helped the younger blond's nerves was a familiar small figure standing in the background, eyeing them suspiciously. An old woman in her sixties, dressed in grey with pale purple hair - Chiyo, one of the Honored Siblings, who had not so long ago given her life for his friend in the past. Or future, depending on how you think about it. The same woman who had locked Shukaku inside Gaara, and the same woman who had designed the seal poorly, pushing him into insanity during his childhood. Gaara's savior and the cause of his burden at the same time.

Naruto fixed his eyes on the back of the Yondaime Kazekage, who was gazing out the window, watching the busy goings-on of the people of Suna, blissfully ignorant of a decision that could seal not only a child's fate, but theirs as well. The leader ran through a short chain of hand signs, and all chakra signatures outside the room disappeared.

"I will do anything for the sake of Sunagakure no Sato… I am willing to sacrifice everything for this village and my family knows this very well…" Naruto tensed and clenched his hands into fists as he started to feel the anger slowly bubbled inside his mind once again.

"The village needs the power of the one-tailed beast." The Kazekage finally turned around, and ran his dark eyes over the three people in the room.

"But I am also willing to do everything to protect my children." The stern expression melted away from his face for a short second, revealing a man who cared deeply about his family and his village, before his expression hardened again into the well-known stern mask. But it was enough for Naruto to finally relax and let a relieved sigh leave his mouth.

"I accept your offer. Chiyo will assist you during the process." The Kazekage made a small nod toward the teen and the Hokage and left the room without a word, leaving the three people alone. A heavy burden disappeared from Naruto's shoulders, his limbs becoming numb from the enormous relief and happiness. Occupied with his own joy, he was not aware of the stabbing gaze from the old woman in the corner. Minato cleared his throat to gain his attention before he started bouncing all over the room, snapping the boy back to reality.

The Hokage slowly stepped in front of Chiyo and made a small, but polite, nod toward the old woman. "Chiyo-san. We would like to start as soon as possible."

The old woman nodded and gestured for the two shinobis to follow her to a room on the first floor. She still hadn't said a word, the only hint of emotion she showed were her narrowed eyes and piercing glare as she rolled open an enormous scroll on a long wooden table.

"This is the design of Gaara's seal."

Naruto whistled at the sight of the design, but only after a minute of silent observation did a troubled frown appear on his and Minato's face.

"Obaa-chan. This is very…hmm...creative, I have to admit." Chiyo's eyes visibly twitched at the cocky honorific. Minato observed the seal for a long moment before he also turned to the elderly woman.

"Is there a copy?"

The woman's eyes narrowed dangerously. "There isn't. And you aren't allowed to bring this out of the room." Minato nodded, but Naruto couldn't suppress a snort.

"Obaa-chan, we won't steal this sloppy design. It's not worth it. But we will need proper equipment. Brushes, ink, some paper to work on…so on. You know. That kind of stuff." The Hokage rolled his eyes and moved his gaze back to the scroll to continue his examination. After a long glare at the blond teen, Chiyo made a small wave with her hand. A Sand ANBU immediately appeared beside her and left after she told him their demands.

The small group stayed in silence for a long half hour, while each of them examined every aspect of the complex seal. Naruto felt like his head was going to explode after twenty minutes with the enormous amount of information on the fine paper. The effects, the after effects and the reactiveness of each individual symbol, kanji, curl and line, the delicate balance between the two sides of the meridian, the interactions between each element. He could compare its complexity only to his own now that he could see the fine details, aside from the mistakes which allowed Shukaku to speak his mind to Gaara more than necessary.

Ero-sennin stated earlier that his designs were wonky and that it was shocking that he hadn't blown something up yet. He had confidence in his knowledge and experience, but seeing this seal crushed it to small pieces when he realized just how much was missing in regards to the fine details of fuuinjutsu. The only fields he had absolute confidence in were the barriers that he used to hide him and all of his companions' presence and give them protection during the war, and in his own seal, which he knew like the back of his hand.

He glanced toward his father and he noted with relief that his azure eyes traveled from symbol to symbol, sometimes nodding to himself, sometimes frowning or mumbling under his breath, while his paper slowly started to fill with notes.

Minato Namikaze was a real seal master with great knowledge. Naruto himself wasn't a theoretical man, and though his knowledge about fuuin jutsu was still very advanced, it was mostly…chaotic. Without a proper teacher, Naruto had learned mainly from old scrolls and simple trial and error…It had been hard and painful, literally. An exploding seal right in your face is a pain in the ass. Learning from his previous failures had been his method back then. He had only gotten help with the basics, thanks to Ma and Pa and occasionally Kakashi-sensei. His mind slowly drifted away from the room, toward one of his memories where everything had started.

* * *

_Naruto leaned over an enormous scroll, examining the complex black pattern on the approximately hundred year old document. A frown appeared on his face as his eyes drifted from the symbols toward the specification. A seal that would be able to capture hundreds of people in one go, sealing away their souls forever, regardless of their power. Half of the pattern had been lost during the years, the ink faded away, and a large chunk of paper was missing from the left corner, taking a piece of the design with it. _

_The blond man dropped his head to the table, eying the design millimeters from his face. 'If I could do it…If I…' A defeated sigh left his soft lips, while the ancient paper rustled from the harsh wind on the rough table, filling his nose with its odd smell. He heard a soft voice behind his back, but he didn't need to turn around to know who it was._

"_What are you doing here Sai?"_

"_That is my line. It's almost midnight. You should rest Naruto." _

_The blond waved a dismissive hand, while the black haired shinobi approached him and glanced down at the table. Talking still felt strange. He still subconsciously worried over how he worded his sentences, and his voice still lacked tone. Sometimes it still felt dead._

"_What are you doing?" _

"_Nothing. Just thinking." Naruto shrugged and straightened himself. 'What am I thinking? I haven't even got the dexterity for it…I don't even know how to hold a brush properly and-.' Naruto stayed silent for a long minute before his eyes widened and he hopped from his seat and grabbed the other teen's shoulders._

"_Sai! You have to teach me calligraphy!" _

_The always stoic and emotionless ex-Root ANBU raised a curious eyebrow._

"_I'm happy that you are interested in the arts, but I don't think this is the proper time for that."_

"_Don't be ridiculous. I don't want to paint flowers and birdies or anything like that. I need it for fuuinjutsu." _

_The black haired teen swept Naruto's hands from his shoulders._

"_You are __not__ capable of learning that. Fuuin jutsu requires patience, precision, and a level-head. You lack all of them. You are clumsy, inpatient, and hot-headed. The exact opposite of the requirements. Not to mention your subpar intelligence." His words once again lacked most of his emotions._

"_This isn't about can or can't. I __have to__ learn it, dattebayo." _

_Sai slowly shook his head. "You don't have a proper teacher. You don't have enough time. Just perfecting calligraphy require years."_

"_Time isn't an object...How long does it take?" _

"_I learned it for three years, for at least two hours a day."_

"_Three years…for two hours a day. I can do that amount of training in two days or less if I push myself."_

"_Naruto that is impossible, there is no way you-"_

"_Sai! I mastered three other elements in weeks, which needs decades of training for someone else. I can do it. I __have to__ do it." The black haired teen watched him for a long moment, fixing his emotionless eyes on the determined blue pools, and in the end he let out a defeated sigh._

"_I'm definitely going to regret this…" Naruto' gave a foxy grin. Sai finally really sounded like he was annoyed._

_In a day, every corner of Mount Myōboku was filled with blond teens, frowning, hissing, bitching above scrolls, papers or soft sand with a stick, their hands and clothes stained with black ink but their identical blue eyes filled with determination and stubbornness, while they copied the Kanji countless times over and over again._

* * *

Naruto blinked when he felt the soft hand of his father on his shoulder. When looked around, he realized that Chiyo wasn't there anymore.

"When did Obaa-chan leave?"

Minato raised an eyebrow at the sensing genius. "Just five minutes ago. Is everything all right Toroku? You look…disturbed."

The blond rubbed his eyes and leaned back against his seat. "I'm alright. It's just- I will never understand how anyone could do this without caring about the consequences, looking at humans and bijuus as mere tools and weapons."

Minato watched his brother for a long minute. "You know a lot about the bijuu and jinchuuriki."

"I do, dattebayo."

"**Be careful…"** Naruto only dismissively waved a mental hand at Kurama.

"Human sacrifice…Balance between the countries... Bullshit. All it comes down to is power. Power that could ruin the life of someone who didn't even ask for it. The bijuu aren't brainless monsters. They also want peace and freedom. But shinobi use them and the jinchuuriki as mere tools. It's wrong in so many ways…I hope one day they will understand each other. The bijuu, the jinchuuriki and every shinobi." Minato observed the young boy in front of him with his azure eyes. He never thought about those things in such a way. But for a Bijuu and its jinchuriki to understand each other was equivalent to Iwa and Konoha making nice over dinner.

"I understand your point, and I feel the same way. Using a child to create a jinchuuriki is unthinkable to me. I would never do that willingly."

A sarcastic snort left Naruto's mouth. "You would do it without a second thought."

"I wouldn't." Naruto felt his eye twitch in his irritation, but it was short-lived. He was already over that.

"Maybe you will face with something that doesn't give you any other choice. If that time comes, you would do it without hesitation. You are the same as the Kazekage in more ways than you think. If it was for the sake of Konoha you would throw away your life with a smile on your face_._"

"I will cross that bridge if I come to it. But for now, I would never do that." Naruto watched his father, with his burning blue eyes, his previous irritation, and small amount of anger, slowly disappeared, and it was replaced with an unnatural amount of calmness. The blond boy averted his piercing gaze, a soft smile appearing on his fine features.

"If a time like that comes…You won't have to make that choice. You will get a family to look after. I won't let you die, dattebayo!" Minato stayed silent for a long awkward minute, chewing on the words carefully, his eyes locked on the form of his brother. He knew very well what his brother just offered to him. His own life. To seal away a bijuu, a sacrifice was more than likely necessary. Especially for the stronger ones who required a complex seal. The Kyuubi, for example.

Complete silence fell on the let the topic go before he said something else he would regret later, emptying his mind and his aching soul, and concentrated on their task: Fix the seal and save Gaara's sanity. While he focused on the seal, he was oblivious to the piercing blue eyes locked on him, sparkling with awe, pride, and concern.

The hours passed with small arguments and countless ideas on the half dozen rough sketches and notes, until the day finally passed, taking with it Naruto's wakefulness. Exhaustion and lack of sleep slowly overwhelmed his weary mind. He passed out in his chair, his head rested on crossed arms on the desk. The room was silent. Only the muffled sounds of crackling paper and the soft ruffle of the brush broke it from time to time. Chiyo had come back an hour later, suspiciously watching the two blonds work. In the end, she had to admit the brat was right. The seal allowed too much space for Shukaku to influence the vessel.

Her dark eyes drifted toward the sleeping blond teen, listening to his small snore, the peaceful and almost childish expression on his face, the small twitching of his eyelids when his mind drifted into a dream. No shinobi would sleep this deep inside enemy territory, it didn't matter who their companion was. Hokage or not. Fortunately for the unconscious blond, the faint mumbles that left his soft lips were indiscernible.

Her eyes drifted to the also obviously weary Hokage, who worked on the last details of the new design that would be able to fuse with the old seal without much problem. Chiyo was disappointed in the Kazekage, maybe even angry, but mostly confused. She couldn't understand this whole situation. She couldn't understand neither the Kazekage's decision nor the Hokage's.

"Why?" Her voice cracked from her age, and stabbed the silence like a knife. Minato had finished his last brush stroke and glanced up at her with a questioning raised eyebrow.

"Why are you doing this?" Chiyo continued, "Fixing the seal gives you nothing. There is no rational reason for you to do this for our sake." The Hokage gave a warm smile and glanced toward the sleeping teen on the table.

"Gaining a strong ally is rational enough, don't you think Chiyo-san?" The old woman narrowed her eyes.

"Alliance means nothing. All it is is an empty promise on a sheet of paper. In war, Konoha will act only for her own sake, just like she did before."

"It is true that alliances didn't mean too much during the last war; but the world changes, villages change, leaders change. Sometimes you must let the changes happen to see a new world." Chiyo's eye twitched.

"Handing a weapon to your former enemy's hand isn't rational, and isn't enough cause for an alliance. How do you know you can trust us?"Minato stayed silent for a long moment, and his eyes traveled toward the peacefully sleeping form of his brother again.

"Don't misjudge my actions Chiyo-san. I don't trust _you_, nor does the Kazekage trust me. That is why you are here watching us in the first place, is it not? But I do trust my _brother_. I trust his dreams and his goals. That is why I am doing this." The old lady didn't respond, and her face showed only confusion. Minato let out a weary sigh before he parted his soft lips to continue his explanation."I wasn't planning on bringing this issue up. It's your own home affair, not Konoha's. But…Toroku is solicitous about this child's future and he convinced me to do so. That boy over there holds great power, and could one day bring great changes to the shinobi world."

Minato didn't say anything more, simply turning back to his work to finish the final details, while Chiyo moved her eyes toward the sleeping young man, and she also stayed in silence for the rest of the day, burrowed inside her own mind, together with her thoughts.

* * *

"Kazekage-sama. The two from Konoha have finished the design. We are preparing to modify the seal in the early afternoon." The leader of Suna nodded, but didn't turn around from the large windows of his office. He simply stood there, arms folded behind his back, watching the empty streets of his sleeping village. Chiyo slowly stepped next to her leader, and without a word joined him in his occupation. For a long while no one said a word to break the silence until the old woman finally opened her wrinkled mouth.

"Suna can take care of her own problems. Why do you let Konoha interfere with our home affairs?" The Kage stood in silence, his eyes focused on a mother and her small child on the streets, before he finally answered.

"It's peaceful isn't it?"

Chiyo raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Yes, it is."

"I intend to keep it that way. At any cost."

"You can't trust them."

The Kage stayed silent for another long minute, lost in his thoughts, before he finally opened his mouth to answer. "I don't trust them…" His eyelids closed around his dark eyes, weighed down by his own thoughts, lost in his mind.

"But that boy, he made me wonder about myself."

Dark and old eyes twitched. _'That boy. Again that boy.'_

"Months ago, Jiraiya told me something about that boy, when the Hokage first sent him here to distract me during the negotiations." The Kage didn't open his eyes as his thoughts wandered back to two months ago. _"He is someone like you and I were once, before we lost ourselves in the shinobi world. He still carries and gives goodwill to anybody without considering who he gave it to."_

"Now I know what he meant at that time." The Kage finally turned toward the small and old woman for the first time since she entered the office. "Do the sealing as soon as possible Chiyo-san." The old woman nodded, realizing that her Kage had closed their conversation and made his final decision. She left the room without any further comment, but her thoughts still did not settle.

* * *

Naruto ran his eyes over the ink black pattern running across the room like a spider web. There were only a few words that could describe the enormous and complex seal. It started from the center of the ceiling, ran across the walls, over the floor and connected again on a dais positioned under the starting point. Together with Minato and Chiyo, they had spent three hours painting the seal without a minutes rest. The faint scent of the Kazekage's blood, which was mixed with the ink, filled his sensitive nose, and he couldn't restrain himself from grimacing.

He heard some faint footsteps from the passage, and the Kazekage appeared in the door, his not so calm wife hooked to his arm. Naruto sent an encouraging warm smile toward Karura and stepped forward to help her navigate without stepping on any of the patterns.

"Everything will be alright Karura-san. I promise." The woman answered only with a weak smile.

"Please take off your overclothes." Naruto felt a small amount of killing intent slowly started to fill the room from the direction of the Kazekage, but the woman obeyed after a hesitant second, revealing her round tummy and soft skin. The blond teen handed the clothes over to the Kazekage, carefully avoiding his eyes, then picked up the woman and gently placed her on the dais, careful not to ruin the pattern below her.

"Please don't move."

Karura nodded with her eyes and Minato and Chiyo finally also appeared in the door. The blond teen crouched down for the brush and the remaining ink, to finish the seal. Precise black strokes appeared on the woman's skin, on her arms, legs, writhing toward her round tummy where they concentrated into a small whirling pattern around her belly button. Naruto once again ran his eyes over the pattern, looking for any errors, any misplaced or shaky strokes, and made a satisfied nod when he found nothing. He locked his azure blue eyes with Karura. Her face was calm, but Naruto could see the fear and concern behind her eyes. He sent another encouraging smile, but the fear didn't vanish. He glanced over his shoulder and noted that the stern look had disappeared from the Kazekage's face; his dark eyes mirrored the same worry as his wife's.

"Kazekage-sama. Could you come here please?" The leader narrowed his eyes, but nodded in the end and carefully moved to the center where his wife was laying almost naked, avoiding the pattern. His always rigid eyes widened when the blond boy simply reached out for his hand, but his rising anger immediately flushed away when he gently placed it under his wife's palm.

"There. You are here as a husband and as a father. You can act like that." A soft smile appeared on Minato's face and he also stepped into the middle of the room, facing his brother.

"Are you ready, Toroku?" Naruto glanced at the Kazekage, who also gave an approving nod, and then he slowly leaned closer to the laying woman in front of them.

"Karura-san. This might be unpleasant, but please bear it and don't move." The woman hesitantly nodded with her eyes, then she immediately locked them with his husband's, who gave her a soft, caring smile in response. Naruto made one final nod and turned toward Minato. Identical blue pools locked after one last inspection of the design. They stayed in silence for a long moment, before they both started to run through an enormously long chain of hand signs, perfectly mimicking each other's movement, like they were just looking into a mirror. When they reached the last sign they froze in motion and the pattern around them glowed with a yellow light for a second. Then the glow immediately faded away, leaving the original black ink color.

The seal suddenly flinched and started to writhe into Karura's belly, inside her womb toward the small life under her pounding heart. The two blond shinobi remained frozen, only their expressions shifting to intense concentration while the seal slowly and submissively moved to overwrite the old one. Nothing could be heard in the room aside from the ruffling sound as the seal moved and the increasingly labored breathing of the two seal masters. Their bodies and minds started to become weary from the joint effort, while their chakra surged into the seal without break.

After half an hour of sheer effort, the remains of the pattern suddenly stopped moving, and a wobble ran through it. A painful hiss left Karura's squeezed lips, and Naruto could distantly feel as the Kazekage's muscles tensed and their hands squeezed each other's until their joints became white. Naruto clenched his eyes and teeth shut, as did Minato, as they focused more and more chakra into the seal.

Naruto's left eye suddenly twitched and his face started to mirror irritation along with the concentration. "Shit…Stupid Tanuki." Naruto pressed the words through his teeth unconsciously as his mind filled with Shukaku's yelling, hissing voice.

"Just stay still, you bitching idiot." He could feel his bloodlust, his struggle against the new seal, his last desperate attempt to break free, attacking the small seams and openings left between the new and old seals before the two completely merged together. Minato restrained himself from glancing toward his brother and breaking his concentration.

"I won't…let you…mess with his head, dattebayo!" The two blonds pressed more and more chakra into the seal, and the wobble slowly died down, the seal continuing to inch toward Karura's belly. A relieved breath left Karura's lips as the tension disappeared. The two Konoha shinobi mimicked the action, unaware of the Kazekage's sudden glances toward them. The seal finally twitched one last time before quickening its movement as the last Kanji and symbol disappeared from the walls and Karura's skin, into her belly.

Minato slowly stepped backwards to lean against the wall for support and wiped the sweat from his forehead, while Naruto simply dropped to the ground, finally allowing his weary body to catch its breath and rest. A small chuckle left his mouth, and it slowly increased into a satisfied laugh as the adrenalin left his body and his muscles started to tremble from the strain. "That was close."

Minato nodded and stepped back up to the dais while the Kazekage gently helped his wife to sit up.

"Karura-san. You must be weary. Please rest," Minato instructed her gently. The woman only nodded with a weak smile on her face, before almost immediately closing her eyes and drifting into unconsciousness. The Kazekage stiffened and folded his arms around his wife to give her support, his eyes filled with concern and fear. Minato sent a small reassuring smile toward the leader.

"She is okay. Just sleeping. The sealing was successful." The Kage nodded, lifted his softly breathing wife into his arms, wrapped her clothes around her and started to leave the room. He turned around at the doorstep and made a deep bow toward the two weary blonds.

"Thank you." With this he simply left, together with Chiyo, leaving Naruto and Minato alone in the now empty room. Minato offered a hand to his brother, who gratefully accepted the help and straightened himself. Minato eyed the teen for a long moment with curious eyes.

"You really heard Shukaku." The chuunin snorted and grimaced.

"Even I can't blaspheme as elaborately as that damn tanuki." Minato let out a soft chuckle, and grabbed his brother's shoulder.

"Come. I think we deserve a long nap." A wide grin appeared on Naruto's face and suddenly every bit of weariness left his body as realization hit him hard on the head._ 'I did it. We did it.'_ His limbs became numb by the relief, and a great burden disappeared from his shoulders. He felt the urge to bounce around the room, to scream and shout and laugh maniacally, and only Minato's presence restrained him from doing so. The satisfied grin never left his face as they reached their accommodations where the two shinobi simply collapsed on the bed for a well deserved rest.

* * *

Four forms stood in the enormous passage carved into the yellowish rock. The desert was still chilly after the ice cold night, but the early beams of the rising sun, already starting to stroke the land, would soon warm up the dunes and golden sea to an almost unbearable level. However, the early beams brought only pleasant warmth to the four people.

After the sealing, the negotiations moved in a different direction. The mood was lighter and agreements were drawn with increased speed. The discussions were successful and everything pointed toward a fruitful alliance between Konoha and Suna. Soon, traders would fill the route between the two villages to exchange goods as per the arrangement, hopefully creating more missions for both ninja villages. The two leaders also agreed that Konoha would only accept an assignment from the Wind daimyo together with Suna, and vice versa.

The dark eyes of the Kazekage locked with azure ones, before moving to another pair identical to the first. The four forms silently waited for each other, gathering their thoughts for a final goodbye before the duo left the Land of Wind. A sudden small smile appeared on the Kazekage's face,mirrored on his wife's fine features, whose hands rested on her round tummy.

"Hokage-sama. I wish you a safe travel."

Minato mimicked the smile and gave a small bow in response, as Naruto did the same to Karura.

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama. I think it's time for us to leave." The leader nodded and a wide grin appeared on the chuunin's face.

"Next time we meet, Karura-san, I hope you will be carrying a healthy auburn-haired boy in your arms." The woman gave a warm smile.

"We don't know the gender yet."

A small chuckle left Naruto's mouth. "Oh, trust me. He will be a boy with the potential to surpass you, Kazekage-sama." The leader narrowed his eyes, but in the end a small, almost invisible half smile appeared on his face erasing his stern expression.

"That is the duty of the younger generation." Minato smiled and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, a small grunt left his mouth as his blond companion slapped his back, forcing out a small amount of air from his lungs and earning himself an angry glance from his Hokage.

"I'm sure he will be a good friend to Minato's could have a slumber party or something when they're older." The named shinobi narrowed his eyes, and returned the slap to the back of Naruto's head.

"It's really time for us to leave." Minato gave a very small, polite bow, and even though Naruto was rubbing the back of his head with a whining sound, he still forced out a small pathetic bow as well. The two figures left the passage to enter the never ending sea of sand.

The Kazekage tilted his head to the side, watching the two blond men in the distance, obviously poking at each other until the chuunin started to run to avoid a blow from the Hokage. The wind blew their voices away, but a loud laugh still reach him, forcing the Kage's face into a smile. The leader slowly shook his head and turned around to head back to the village center, together with his softly chuckling wife.

* * *

The two blond shinobi reached the borders of The Land of Fire in two days. The sight of never ending green woods warmed Naruto up from head to toe. It didn't matter how much he liked the nights in the desert; seeing green after the long week in Suna was just priceless. The blond teen stretched his arms behind his head while they walked on the narrow path, deep inside the woods.

"It's good to be finally home."

The Hokage chuckled and nodded. "Feeling homesick after just one week away?"

Naruto only shrugged in response and they continued their silent walk down the path. "Hey Minato. Is the offer still up for a room in the Hokage Mansion?"

The Hokage sent him a warm smile. "Of course. I take it your answer is a yes?" Naruto nodded and a wide grin appeared on their faces.

They walked beside each other, Naruto with his eyes closed, using his senses to walk on the pathway, and unaware of the wondering look on his companion's face as he watched him.

"I was wondering…" Naruto opened an eye and glanced toward Minato from the corner of his curiously. "Could you help me with something?" The chuunin raised an eyebrow, and finally turned his head to face with Minato.

"It depends…But it's good to hear the almighty Hokage ask for a lowly chuunin's help." A cocky grin appeared on his face, forcing Minato to roll his eyes.

"Don't push it…I can assign you to nothing else but D rank missions for the rest of the year..." A furious snort left his mouth in response to the threat, but it was replaced with a shiver that ran through his spine at the thought of gardening, babysitting and running after lost cats.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, eyeing the emotionless face of the Hokage for a long minute, weighing how serious his threat was. "You are really messed up in the head."

The Hokage chuckled in response and stopped on the path. "So, will you help?"

"I don't even know if I'm able to, so just spit it out." A wide grin appeared on the Hokage's face.

"You are really good at elemental manipulation and beside me you are the only one with wind affinity who I trust enough with…_this_."

Minato simply raised his hand and opened his palm, and almost immediately a spinning, azure blue chakra globe appeared between his fingers. The hair on the back of Naruto's neck instantly stood up as his senses filled with the powerful chakra, swirling with insane speed inside the perfect ball.

He needed every bit of his self-control to restrain himself from saying anything stupid and make sure that the muscles on his face remained stoic. He already knew what his father wanted from him, and inside his mind he felt like he was twelve again, jumping up and down in his excitement, shouting and grinning like a maniac. Naruto forced himself to remain outwardly calm and tilted his head to the side, eyeing the so familiar and dear technique with curiosity. The blond forced the muscles on his face to move and mirror confusion while he looked back to his father with a questioning look.

"Nice."

Minato raised an eyebrow, and couldn't keep the disappointment from his face. "Nice? That is all you can say? This is my pride and joy, beside the Hiraishin, and all you can say is nice?!" His shoulders slumped in defeat, letting the blue orb disappear. Naruto finally gathered himself and immediately started to backtrack.

"I didn't mean nice in a bad way, I mean nice as in super badass. I know how hard is to create something like that." Minato raised an eyebrow at his brother desperately trying to save the situation, and in the end, a chuckle forced itself out and he simply waved a dismissive hand.

"Okay, I have to admit it's not as fancy as some of your techniques but it's still powerful like hell." Naruto nodded agreeing. Despite the fact that he learned and developed dozens of new and powerful jutsu, the foundation of his strongest ones was still the Rasengan. No jutsu other than the Rasengan's variants were strong enough to break through Madara's defenses.

"What was that technique?" Naruto asked with a curious tone.

"That was 'Rasengan'. It's still incomplete. Anytime I try to add wind element it is just breaks down." Naruto nodded and tapped his chin to show he was thinking about the solution, that he actually already knew.

"So...Will you help me to solve this little problem?"

Naruto stayed in silence for a long minute, while his thoughts raced inside his head. _'What if I just show him? What If I let him finish the technique? He won't be able to throw it like I can without Sage mode. Will he be able to use it without damaging himself? Maybe with the Hiraishin it could be used in a safe way.'_ He slowly shook his head to clear it from the hundreds of disturbing questions_. 'I have time to decide.'_ A wide grin appeared inside his mind when he realized that he would get the opportunity to use Rasengan in the future without revealing himself, not to mention the remaining jutsus in his arsenal which were developed directly from it.

"I don't know yet. Maybe I could help." A wide smile appeared on Minato's face.

"Deal. When we arrive home, I'll teach you the Rasengan."

"Why not while we are travelling?" Minato chuckled in response.

"The only one who knows it, besides me, is Jiraiya-sensei and it took him more than two months to learn it. I know you are a genius in some ways, but it's a complex technique." A foxy grin appeared on Naruto's face, already calculating the possibilities.

"I got confidence in myself. I will learn it before we reach the gates of Konoha."

"Toroku…That's less than two days. There is no way you are-"

"Wanna bet?" The Hokage raised an eyebrow as a cunning expression appeared on his face, but he only got another foxy grin in response, which forced him to frown. In the end, he just waved away his doubts, his mind already looking for the prize he was going to win without even moving a finger. A wide grin appeared on his face also, and raised a hand toward the chuunin.

"**Cunning little brat. You are as sly as a fox."**

'_I have a good teacher.'_ A pleased snort echoed inside his mind, together with the chuckling of Kurama.

"Deal. If you aren't able to learn it before we reach the gates, you will do any repairs, the painting, and move every single piece of furniture into the new house. Alone." The grin only grew wider on Naruto's face, almost reaching both of his ears. A thought popped up inside his head, how his small prank would be just perfect for his father.

"Deal. And if I learn it, you will be the one who'll do that, without any help or jutsu. It wouldn't be fair if you just use Hiraishin to move everything, while I have to drag everything through the whole village with my clones. Oh, and creating a D rank mission for it isn't acceptable. You will do it with your bare hands and with your pretty face." Minato nodded, his confidence never leaving him, while Naruto was cackling inside his head like a maniac, together with Kurama, already imagining how Minato would run with the boxes and furniture through the streets of Konoha, covered in paint from head to toe.

"So, when do we start?" The chuunin chirped inside Minato's ear with a sing-song voice, while Minato tapped his chin as he gathered his thoughts.

"We will reach a small village in an hour. I need to pick up some tools for your training." Naruto nodded, and the two blonds headed toward their destination, to get some balloons and rubber balls for sure.

* * *

Minato Namikaze felt himself steadily lose his confidence as he watched his younger brother pop the second balloon filled with water with a cocky grin on his face only after an hour of practice. He restrained himself from letting his mouth fall open and the gulp rise inside his throat at the thought that he might have to carry everything through the middle of the village alone. He slowly shook his head to ease away the image of his total pillory. A small hope rose inside his chest. _'The next stages will be much harder. There is absolutely no way he will succeed with them.'_

"**Hey Brat! Slow down."**

'_Do you know how hard it is to do something badly when you know how to do it right? It's hard for me to mess up on purpose.'_ A snort echoed inside his mind.

"**That's just unbelievable. You normally have a natural talent for messing things up."**

'_Hey! When was the last time I messed up anything?!'_ His only answer was total silence. _'Okay, don't answer that. But it's still hard.'_

"**Then try harder! Use your stubborn brain."**

Naruto rolled his eyes mentally, while Minato handed another ball to him, this time made of hard rubber, and explained the next step, just as Jiraiya had while they were looking for Tsunade to ask her to become the Godaime Hokage after Sarutobi's death. Naruto let out a sigh when his thoughts wandered toward the snake sannin. He could be anywhere, doing his experiments undisturbed, and who knows how many people had already died by his hands since he came back to the past. _'I should find him and just kick his ass.'_

"**Great plan, discounting only one tiny little problem."** Naruto mentally narrowed his eyes, looking for what the fox referred. **"Do not interfere until it is absolutely necessary. That was our deal. Concentrate rather on the ball in your hand, because it's about to pop." **Naruto let out a weary sigh unconsciously.

'_I can't just let him have his way in the shadows a second time around. Hey! What if I give some hints to Minato? Or to the old man?'_

"**And how will you explain your knowledge?"** Naruto made a mental shrug.

'_I don't know. You're the brains. Think of something.'_

"**I'm glad you finally admit it."** Naruto unconsciously rolled his eyes in irritation. Fortunately Minato had fixed his eyes and senses on the small rubber ball in his hand, unaware of the small motion and his silent conversation.

'_What if I just sneak inside the office and left a message?'_

"**And if they caught you?"**

'_I've been able to sneak around ANBU since I was six. They won't catch me.'_

"**Do you think they will do anything with an anonymous letter that states that one of their greatest shinobi and hero kills people in the shadows?" **Naruto frowned mentally.

'_You got a point. If I only at least new one of the places where he does his…things, I can lead them there. I could say that I sensed what was happening or something.'_

"**Naruto, if you interfere too much you won't know what will happen."**

'_We've already spoke about this time after time. I can't just sit and wait.'_

"**And yet you still don't understand the precarious position you are in!"**

'_I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT POSITION I AM IN!'_ A sudden bang interrupted their argument, and the blond chuunin blinked down to his hands, with wide eyes.

'_Shit.'_

"**Yes. Shit is a good word…Idiot."**

"Shit."

Naruto turned his head toward the voice, and found a gaping Minato looking back at him with wide eyes, disbelief written all over his face. Naruto made a mental shrug and sent a foxy grin toward the Hokage, who resembled a fish on the ground gasping for air. Minato was struggling between feelings of enormous pride, from the fact his brother was a damn genius, and concern that there was a chance that he might lose this bet.

"So, I would like my room to be orange." Minato flung his eyes from the empty hand of his brother toward the blue eyes, and raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Orange?"

"Yes. Orange."

"There is something wrong with you in the head. And you will be the one who will paint your room orange, not me." The Hokage slowly shook his head as he forced his voice to sound more confident than he felt. The image of himself covered in orange paint was already starting to form inside his mind, forcing a grimace on his face.

* * *

The Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato stepped through the village gates with a perished expression on his face, his head hung on his chest in defeat and his eyes wide, continuously muttering his disbelief. On the other hand, his young blond companion marched inside the gates, casually grinning from ear to ear. The duo passed the two curious chuunin guards. One of them started to open his mouth, but he immediately closed it when the Hokage sent him a sharp glare that promised pain and suffering in the form of at least one month of long 'D' ranked missions if he dared to ask anything. In the middle of the village, Minato finally braced himself, and turned toward his companion with a straight face.

"We will meet tomorrow. I have to speak with Sarutobi before I go home." Naruto nodded, still grinning widely. Inside his mind a small amount of excitement had already formed.

He was also curious of what he would find at home. Or more accurately, what his clone had found while they were out of town. He could feel that the seal on the door was still untouched and the clone had not dispersed, meaning he had remained undetected and undisturbed.

The blond chuunin headed toward his apartment and stepped inside his flat after ten minutes of silent walking, the whole way carefully restraining himself from breaking out into a run through Konoha in his excitement. His heart pounded faster and faster from the exhilaration as he dropped his bag onto the floor and grabbed the door handle to the bathroom, practically ready to tear the door open. He immediately felt the sudden spike of chakra inside his head as the security seal disappeared and the small amount of his own chakra left inside the seal returned to him. Naruto let out a long, calming breath before he stepped inside the bathroom. His eyes immediately fixed themselves on the corner.

A satisfied grin appeared on his face when only the empty corner looked back at him. He had been away for longer than he had first thought he would be, so he had been hoping the chakra that he'd pumped inside the seal was enough to last until he did get back. His experienced hands ran through a short chain of hand signs, and the barriers disappeared from the corner, revealing a very weary looking blond teen, already out of Sage mode to avoid detection since the barriers were down. The clone let out an enormous yawn and slowly straightened himself, obviously trying to tease the real Naruto whose curiosity had risen to an unbearable level.

"So?"

The clone made a half smile, and slowly shook his head. "Sorry boss. It's almost as if they just disappeared from the face of the earth…I found every damn shinobi in fire country and the majority of shinobi in the other elemental countries, except Madara and Obito..."

The blond chuunin let out a disappointed sigh and ran a hand through his golden locks. The clone clasped his shoulder reassuringly, then disappeared, leaving behind nothing more than a small cloud filled with the last remains of his already fading chakra.

Naruto walked toward his bedroom, reaching his bed with its soft white pillows just in time as the exhaustion of his replica finally hit him with full force. In the next second the blond chuunin collapsed onto the bed with a moan. The memories of his clone forcefully continued to pop up picture by picture. A frown appeared below his closed eyelids as memories pinpointing the chakra signatures of the once (or future, depending on how you think of it) Akatsuki members appeared. But it was replaced with a soft smile when he found the still living Yahiko, a probably disturbed Zabuza, an enthusiastic Killer Bee, and even the almost invisible chakra of a toddler Haku. Naruto, finally overwhelmed by exhaustion, drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey! Gaara's seal is fixed. See? I told you the tenth chapter isn't a filler. :D

Declaration of will: I will finish this fic even if the manga ends!

For everyone in Europe whose life had been disturbed by the flooding rivers:

I'm with you! Be strong and help each other!

Kitartást! Ha pedig a Duna közelében laktok, légyszíves vegyetek részt ti is a védekezésben!

Proposed next update: 22th of June or before. ;) The next 7 chapters are already finished. You should cheer my precious Beta readers. ;)

**Story recommendations:**:

**Restart** by **xXChirushiXx** - Uzumaki Naruto is given a new chance at life after failing it by the most unreliable source. In his new life, he is no longer an Uzumaki, he is lonely (Kurama is not the most talkative) and he still has all his enemies out there, that will attack in a few years. He must be ready. Time Travel. Adult Themes. "WHY IN THE WORLD IS OBITO ATTACKING? HE'S YEARS TOO EARLY!" Disclamer (She is one of my precious readers. I like this fic with all of it's flaws and its going into an interesting direction. Naruto time travel of course. :)


	16. Chapter 16 – Lily for the Living

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies, I don't know.

I would like to ask a burst of applause for my fantastic beta readers: **ImaginationJunkie1412** and **Skyisthelimit**.

**Original upload date: 20th of June 2013**

**Last update: **

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 16. – Lily for the Living**

"_In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! We are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory."_

― _J.R.R. Tolkien_

**Attention! The new happenings of the manga have been ignored from the 629th chapter!**

* * *

The warm beams of the afternoon sun stroked his skin like a tender lover, while the breeze playfully caught his golden locks, twisting, picking and tugging them childishly around his fine features. Uzumaki Naruto silently stood in front of an obsidian stone, his sight locked on the always shiny surface which already held hundreds of names. His blue orbs ran through the names carved into the stone, then unconsciously moved to other empty parts of the memorial that he knew would eventually be filled with familiar names if he failed. His eyes locked onto a particular point, where the black stone was spotted with copper colored flecks and fine curves, the place where his father's and mother's names were or would be carved onto its surface.

His hands locked harder onto the soft stem of the one single, pure white madonna lily that he'd picked up from Inoichi's newly opened flower store. A half smile appeared on his face when the image popped up of the surprised and confused interrogator while he had handed over the flower. He was sure he would receive questions later, but he didn't care this time. He wanted to do this and it had to be done. Naruto squeezed the stem one more time, before he placed it lightly in front of the memorial and gently stroked its cold surface with his hand unconsciously.

His teeth painfully clenched together, while sorrow overwhelmed his mind. Kurama silently withdrew into the deepest part of his mind, leaving as much private space for his mourning as he could manage.

The blond teen silently mourned for people still alive or not even born yet, for people not aware of their own death. He mourned for his still living and breathing parents, for his friends, for his precious people, for the people of Konoha and the other nations, and for the countless nameless shinobi and civilians from all over the elemental countries who had given their lives for only one cause. To live free in a real world, to defeat Madara and the juubi... to defend him.

Naruto spirited away from Konoha and sunk deep into the ink black abyss of his grief to mourn for the living for one last time.

* * *

_A lean figure stood above an unmoving and lifeless form on the ground, between unnatural forms. The chirping of thousands of birds slowly died down, while the blue glow slowly faded away from the corners and sides of the cube around them. Hatake Kakashi slowly shook his head and let out a long and weary breath, his silver locks following the movement, slowly swinging together with his head in the motion. He could only distantly feel as someone gently placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, trying to shake him from his stupor back to reality._

"_Sensei… Let's go."_

_Kakashi slowly nodded with the last sane remains of his mind, showing that despite his blank look he acknowledged his voice._

_A piece of his heart and mind died once more, together with the shadow of his once teammate, as did a small amount of his own sanity. He had seen him die once. And now he had killed him once more._

"_We have to get back. Now!"_

_The jounin flinched and finally turned his head toward the source of the loud voice to face his student. The shadow of his memories darkened his eyes, and for a second, just for a brief second, he saw his own sensei in front of him. He felt Minato's gentle hands on his shoulders; he saw __**his**__ blond locks, his long white coat swinging behind him, instead of his student's. The apparition gently faded away, but one thing remained. The piercing azure orbs, identical to his once sensei's eyes, watching him with concern. Eyes, which were the last remains of his former team and maybe the last things that held together his sanity. They reminded him of every single one of his losses, his acts, his failures. However, now those eyes gave him more than just sorrow, guilt and painful memories._

_They gave him hope. They always gave him hope, pushing him to live and go further even when he was allowed only to watch him from the shadows, fearing that someone would connect the dots before he was able to defend himself._

"_Naruto… Let's get out of here." The blond teen only nodded in response, determination shining in his blue eyes._

* * *

_Four weary and bloody forms appeared next to the three commanders of the Allied Shinobi forces. Their eyes ran over the battlefield, several of them wide from the loss of numbers. Others were forced by willpower to look calm and collected, belonging to shinobi whose hearts were hardened into stone by the years. Gaara frantically searched the fields, desperately looking for his people and his siblings. A long, relieved sigh left his tight chest, when he spotted two familiar forms far away, still fighting. A calm and commanding tone kicked him out from his own small word. _

"_Darui! Report!"_

"_Raikage-sama, Uchiha Obito, the one known as Tobi, has been eliminated. Our forces are now fighting against the real Uchiha Madara and the Juubi. It seems that their forces are slowly falling. The sealing team is preparing an attempt to seal away the two of them in one attack. They need a lot of time to prepare. We have also suffered great losses in every division; more than half of our forces have fallen, and our headquarters-" The young commander suddenly shut his mouth, looking for the words to describe their situation, but he found none that could even nearly do it justice._

_Two figures appeared beside them suddenly, and golden light illuminated weary and bloody faces all around them. A stunned blond teen swung his head around, desperately looking for someone. His mouth moved to ask a question, though he already knew the answer. _

"_Where-Where is the Godaime? Where is Tsunade-baachan!?" Four pairs of eyes glanced toward the blond teen, but no one said a word. They just let the silence fall amongst them as an answer. A hand was placed onto Naruto's already trembling shoulder, but he immediately shook it off violently as soon as it made contact. His hands clenched into fists, his joints becoming white from the strain as he attempted to channel his growing despair somewhere._

_With an effort that rose above any normal human's, Naruto forced back the lump in his throat and the sting in his eyes. His now foggy azure pools moved toward the hard ground, but he couldn't find any reassurance in the blood soaked soil. His hazy gaze found the only thing that stood out - a small green leaf. But it was frayed at the edge and not just one crimson stain dyed its surface. He tried, but no matter how much wanted to, he couldn't move his gaze from it. _

"_Naruto… she used the last remains of her strength to save us. She is gone." Gaara's voice was uncharastically soft, barely loud enough to be called a whisper, but the named boy shook his head violently, still trying to deny the truth with every fiber of his being. His eyes never let go of the small leaf. They were winning, but without Tsunade baa-chan... his previous determination and hope for success was slowly starting to fade._

_"It shouldn't be like this..." He whispered into the heavy air._

"_Brah-Dah!" Bee limped toward the small team, eyeing his leader and his only remaining family member, dwelling on his bloody clothes and wounds without comment._

_The sounds of the nearby battle somehow became only a distant whisper as everybody retreated into his thoughts for a short, silent minute to salute the fallen._

"_Uzumaki Naruto!" Blond locks followed his head's sudden movement as it swung toward a small, old man with a commanding voice, finally releasing the bloody leaf in front of his foot from his gaze._

"_The Godaime Hokage left an important message for you." A soft, proud smile appeared on the wrinkled face of the Tsuchikage. His features smoothed over, as did his wrinkles, and suddenly, he looked at least a decade younger._

"_You are in charge." The soft smile became almost fatherly before the Tsuchikage continued. "The four Kage have also agreed to the decision. Welcome to our lines, Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato."_

_Naruto's heart stopped beating for a moment. His lungs forgot to breath and his blood froze in his veins as he was overwhelmed by pride and pure joy. Azure eyes trailed across the landscape slowly, taking in every sight, hovering on some spots where he knew his comrades laid, dead or wounded. His joy slowly disappeared as it was replaced by sorrow and maybe a hint, if only a small hint, of regret._

_Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's Number One Most Unpredictable and Noisiest Ninja, proved one more time that he had earned his moniker._

"_I decline." Silence fell among the people around the Kages and the commanders, while a sour smile appeared behind the dark blue mask of his teacher._

"_I'm not ready for the hat. Not yet…"_

_The Kazekage stepped toward his first friend, his eyes soft. However, his usual calm expression never left his face. "You just proved that you are ready, my friend."_

_Naruto made a sour smile, but he shook his head. The smile slowly melted into a wide and oh so familiar grin. "The Nanadaime_ _Hokage still sounds good, dattebayo. But for the Rokudaime…we need someone else. Someone who is more suited to that title in this situation." His eyes traveled toward his sensei, who just stared back with his well known uninterested and bored expression as always._

_An explosion shook the ground and all heads turned toward the battlefield, where an enormous tail met with the hard ground._

"_We should continue this after that thing is pounded into the ground." Kakashi stated calmly. _

* * *

_A giant black ball formed in front of the enormous mouth of the ten tailed beast. Black as the deepest abyss of space, but somehow still glowing with a murderous light. The landscape shook when the enormous attack made impact in the middle of the battlefield, sending hundreds of shinobi into the embrace of the death god in an instant. The moans and yelps of the dying echoed throughout the land, while, with another shake of the earth, a tail crashed next to a blond teen, forcing him to dodge to the side._

_An unnatural roar echoed along the landscape. A single shadow clone appeared next to Naruto after he formed the familiar cross-like hand sign, and it immediately moved into a meditative stance to gather energy from the dying nature around them. The beast roared once more, and its claws flung in the opposite direction where a handful of shinobi had launched an attack to distract the monster, while the others prepared another distraction so that the sealing team, who waited patiently in the background, could launch into action when their time came._

_Shikamaru jumped next to the weary blond teen, his eyes foggy from strain and suppressed emotions, but in the next moment he was collected again. "Naruto! When the sealing team takes action, lead and cover them. You've got one more minute to prepare." The blond teen only nodded in response and sneaked a peek behind his shoulder to check on his clone. The familiar orange patterns had already formed around his eyes and the hair on his neck rose as the increasing amount of nature energy flowing toward his copy flew by his ear._

_The clone suddenly snapped his golden eyes open and immediately jumped toward the two young men to grab them. Their bodies flew helplessly across the battlefield as the copy threw them to safety. _

_Nature's energy hit him as soon as his clone dispersed inside the Hell of flames, together with the sealing team, where they had stood not even a second ago with Shikamaru. The memories of his clone appeared inside his head: his guilt, his struggle, and his final decision to save them instead the others, all while they were still flying through midair._

_A heavy breath left Naruto when the air was forced out from his lungs as his body connected with the hard soil. They finally stopped after ploughing a long scar into the hard ground. The place they had previously stood disappeared inside the inferno of an enormous, flaming sphere. The young blond shinobi jumped to his feet in an instant, ignoring the stabbing pain in his left thigh._

_A sharp wooden shard stuck out from his muscles, painting red lines all over his orange pants until his blood dripped onto the hard ground to mix with the sea of blood already forming on the battlefield. A small, almost invisible stream twisted between small rocks to meet with another puddle of the red liquid only steps from him, where not even an hour ago he'd placed down the body of his friend who had once been so blinded by destiny. Weary azure orbs travelled toward the body of Hyuuga Neji, then moved to the side and locked onto the body of another comrade. Her dark blue hair was stained with dirt and blood, but the small smile was still frozen on her gentle face. Fortunately her eyes were closed._

_He wouldn't have been able to endure this for another second if he had seen the emptiness in her eyes. He had only just accepted her feelings; had just made a promise half an hour ago that he would take her on a date and they would go out for a ramen when all of this was finished._

_He was weary and tired. He just wanted to lay down and sleep, and hopefully wake up from this nightmare. Actually, he wasn't just simply tired. He, felt dead. Everything went slowly downhill since the four Kage appeared. Everything. And since he declined to become the Rokudaime. The temptation rose inside his chest for a split second, to just let it be, just let the Uchiha do what he wants, let him erase the memories of the war, let him cast the genjutsu, let him bring the false dream world where everybody is alive._

_His hands clenched into fists, unconsciously looking for the heat that had been there only an hour ago, when Hinata had been holding his hand until her last breath, never releasing him, not even for a second. The temptation immediately disappeared and was replaced with guilt, squeezing his stomach into a small tight ball. How could he even think about the possibility for a second? Give up? He can't give up. With willpower greater than a normal human, he forced his head to finally turn and release the sight of Hinata's already cooling body. His eyes met with the shocked and wide orbs of his genius classmate, and in that one second he saw a hint of raw panic in Shikamaru's obsidian black eyes._

"_No… Without the sealing team- Madara…" The Nara flung his gaze toward the battle, the panic disappearing and replaced with calculation. Naruto could almost hear as the gears turned and thoughts and plans ran inside his head with insane speed. The young jounin squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment, before he nodded to himself._

* * *

_Azure eyes locked with red and purple ones as the red glow slowly faded away from them. The golden flames slowly, almost motionlessly, disappeared from his body, while the wooden restrains squeezed him tighter, forcing out a painful hiss from his lips, along with his last remains of Kurama's chakra from his body._

"_You have caused me a big headache. I have to admit this Kyuubi. But you've only managed to slow down my plans. The current ninja world will be destroyed and the Infinite Tsukuyomi will be finished even without Obito. I already know how."_

"_This is the last time I'll say this - I won't let it." The words were pressed through his clenched teeth, but still sounded powerful and determined._

"_You are injured and out of chakra. Even the kyuubi hasn't got the energy to heal you." Naruto closed his eyes for a second, to reach out for nature's energy, but his already overstrained muscles didn't stop trembling, no matter how desperately he tried to force them to stop._

'_How long will it take Kurama? I got a situation out here.'_

"_**I know. Hold on just a little bit longer." **_

_A sour, but still cocky smile appeared on his face. 'We haven't got that much time.' _

_The fox didn't answer._

"_Just stay still and let me finish my plan," the Uchiha taunted._

"_I'm a stubborn brat you red eyed moron!" _

_Madara suddenly stiffened and a wide, almost insane grin spread across his face. "Finally, they are finished." _

_A confused frown appeared on Naruto's face. "Finished? Who? And what did they finish?" Madara smirked._

"_Lets just say, I played with some of our...very, very old friends."_

"_What are you talking about?" The ancient Uchiha snorted, then instead of answering Naruto's question a smirk appeared on his face as he replied._

"_Stalling for time? Good plan, however war is already mine." A wooden spear lashed from Madara's chest, aiming for the blond. Naruto struggled inside his restrains, desperately trying to move out of the way, however the spear never reached him. A tentacle shot forward, deflecting the spear, which imbedding itself into the hard soil behind the struggling teen._

"_Bee-occhan!"_

"_Naruto! Don't give up! Bro is coming." The Kumo shinobi shouted, while the tentacle slowly moved back into his crouching body._

"_Well, well, well, what do we have here?" _

_Wooden vines shot toward the heavily panting kumo jinchuuriki, who didn't have the power to move. Bee stayed in his hunched position, overwhelmed by his exhaustion, while the wooden vines enclosed around his weary and bloody body without so much as a twitch of his finger. Bee's body screamed to move, to struggle, to shoot forward and tear away his restraints together with the enemy in front of him. However in the deep abyss of his mind, he had already given up the fight._

_The blond boy finally forced his weary body to stay still, forced his muscles to relax with the last bit of his logical mind, desperately reaching out for nature's energy. When the first flecks of orange appeared around his eyes, the wooden restraints blew into shreds, but before he could reach his comrade, Bee simply disappeared from sight inside a lazily swirling vortex. Naruto was already reaching out to tear away the wooden vines, but his hands met with empty space. A satisfied chuckle echoed behind him and when he turned his head toward its source, his eyes met with the pleased expression on Madara's face._

"_I should thank you Uzumaki Naruto. Without you, I wouldn't be able to capture the Eight-Tailed this easily. I'm grateful. However, I should leave now. I have some important business with that present of yours. And a meeting with someone else."_

_Madara started to run through hand signs. He didn't stop even for a second when Naruto sprung into action and shot toward the man, his fist already ready to meet his face._

_However, before it could happen, a satisfied half smile appeared on Madara's face, then he and the juubi simply disappeared from the battlefield. Naruto stared at the empty space in front of him for a long second, before he collapsed onto his knees. His brain shut down, forcing out every sound around him. His mind didn't work, his heart didn't beat, and his lungs didn't function, just like before. The yelps and moans around him didn't register in his mind. The soft hands of a pink haired kunoichi on his shoulders didn't reach him. His eyes were still focused on the vacant area in front of him, where Madara had disappeared._

_Suddenly the shock wore off, and his eyes finally locked with Sakura's green orbs. After blinking rapidly to clear his foggy mind, muffled voices started to reach his consciousness._

"_Naruto! What happened! The Juubi simply disappeared!" The blond only shook his head as a response, but in the end, he managed to press out words from his lumped throat._

"_He… he got Bee." Someone violently grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. His eyes locked with the Raikage's furious but also concerned eyes, forcing him to averted his gaze to escape from the stabbing and demanding glare._

"_He was… he was protecting me and-I'm sorry." The Raikage slowly released his shoulders and walked farther from the small group, while his voice echoed around them._

"_The remains of our forces are heading back to Wind Country. That is the nearest place and it will be our new temporary headquarters. We will talk there Uzumaki Naruto."_

* * *

_Naruto sank down into the soft golden sand to watch the fading light on the horizon. The world around him seemed to burn with orange, gold and brilliant red flames as the setting sun's last beams reached the surface with the waving hot air. A soft, but burning hot breeze ruffled his golden locks, picking up the small grains of sand, mixing it with his hair, hiding them under his clothes. But it still felt pleasant and peaceful instead of irritating._

_With small movements of his toes, he dug his foot deep inside the golden sand, enjoying the feeling with closed eyes as it encompassed him, flowing between his toes. His mind drifted back to the last week, to the fight between them and Madara. His troubled thoughts wandered to a scene where he had sensed something so unnerving it made his heart ache. He had sensed him. He had sensed Sasuke in sage mode, but only for a short minute before his presence had faded away somewhere in Uzu, as if he had disappeared from the earth. That had been the last time. Since then it didn't matter how hard he tried, something masked his presence from his senses._

_The blond gritted his teeth. He also sensed one more very familiar and disturbing presence. But that was impossible. He hoped it was impossible. It couldn't be that Orochimaru was alive. The Edo Tensei had been broken. Only Madara stayed with the living and it couldn't be that the snake had become that powerful could it? _

_The soft ruffle of clothes in the background didn't kick him out from his musing._

"_You left the village." After a long silent minute Naruto finally opened his eyes to meet with the stabbing emerald green orbs of Gaara._

"_I'm just outside of the village walls by a meter. You want to scold me again just like yesterday on the balcony? I get it. I won't leave." The Kazekage didn't answer, just averted his gaze to watch the sunset together with his friend._

"_Why did you decline the title?" Naruto only shrugged and didn't answer for long, silent minutes in the hope that Gaara would simply forget his question if he ignored him long enough. It worked for quite a while before the Kazekage spoke again._

"_So?" The blond teen let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes. There goes his plan._

"_I'm not strong enough or wise enough for that title. Not yet. I was a fool...I thought it would be easy. My goals have changed. I have changed. But...its not enough. I need to become stronger. I need to become smarter. I need to catch up with dad. Konoha's next Hokage can't be a moron like me." The Kazekage watched him with a still, stoic expression for a long, silent minute before he opened his mouth._

"_You are stronger than any of the Kage's. You can motivate people, you can give them hope. Yes, you can act like an idiot, yes, maybe you are not mature enough for that position and yes you always act before you think, but you have friends around you, who will help you, who can support you and lead you to the right direction. You are definitely a good leader. You were always fighting not only for the sake of Konoha, but for all of us, even before the alliance formed. For all Shinobi. You should be by our side, where Tsunade once stood."_

"_So many of them died… I made so many promises that in the end I can't and will never be able to fulfill…How could I lead them?"_

"_Don't throw away your dreams for the sake of a lost soul who doesn't want to come out from the darkness."_

"_It hasn't been about him for a long time. I know what I have to do with him..." Naruto muttered his answer; he knew perfectly well who Gaara was referring to even without a name._

"_Then what? You were always shouting that you wouldn't die before you became Hokage. That was your final goal. Did you give up? Did you give up your dreams?" Naruto didn't avert his gaze, nor answer for a second._

"_It's not that. I still want to become Hokage. But my reasons have changed. When I was small I wanted to become Hokage so people would acknowledge me. Itachi was right. I already earned that acknowledgement. But I don't feel prepared for what I have to do. The war. This war made me realize a lot of things. That I can't save everyone. That I can't think anymore about life like I did before. If I become Hokage maybe I would be the one who'd send my comrades to their death. I'm...I'm not wise enough for that."_

_His gaze drifted back to the horizon, his mind empty and his expression blank. Gaara let out a sigh and soft sand reached out for Naruto's hitai-ate, loosening the tufted black stripes and let it fall into his lap, while Naruto glanced at his friend with a surprised expression. But its place on his forehead was almost immediately replaced with a new forehead protector, one kanji shining proudly in the middle of it: 'Shinobi'._

"_When you think your time has come, when you think you are ready to wear the hat, you can replace your hitai-ate with your old one. Until that time, you are a shinobi of the Allied Forces."_

_Naruto watched silently as his friend left, before he turned toward the settling sun again, and his hand tightened around the somehow still cold metal plate, which, not a minute ago, was proudly fastened onto his forehead._

* * *

_An enormous explosion shook the world. Dust and debris flew across the landscape as the blast of air picked up those who didn't have enough chakra, speed, or simple strength to properly stick themselves to the ground. An animalistic, gruesome roar echoed in the air, the voice of something definitely not from this world. With enormous speed and power, another tail swung and smashed into the ground with the sound and force of an explosion. The remains of the Allied Shinobi Forces desperately struggled to stop the destruction and gain enough time to evacuate the civilians in the distance from Sunagakure no Sato, where they had taken shelter after the first battle with Madara for a short, peaceful week._

"_Naruto! Retreat and leave with the civilians!" The Godaime Kazekage arrived at the head of the giant toad boss, jumping down from a small sand cloud. His face was bloody, his hair was a mess, dust and small cuts covered his clothes and skin._

"_I won't leave you behind! There is still a chance to set it back without Madara here! We only have to deal with the juubi alone!"_

"_Naruto! You are exhausted and our forces are almost gone! The rest of the Kage's are gone! We've only a handful of the force with Temari and a fraction of the second and fourth division! There is no chance for us, but you must survive!" The young Kage shouted out with despair. _

"_I won't leave my comrades behind! I will NEVER leave this battlefield, dattebayo!" _

"_I am the Godaime Kazekage and the Regimental Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces! You are a shinobi of it! I command you to retreat!"_

"_No." The blond's answer was simple and demanding, his voice lacked any of his previous anger. _

"_Naruto… You saved me. You saved my sanity… my soul and my body countless times." Gaara's voice was now soft and kind without any trace of his own previous fury and irritation._

"_Gaara-"_

_"Naruto..." The Kage interrupted, his voice still soft, almost whispering, but it was more than enough for the blond to shut his mouth._

"_You always ask everybody to believe in you. Now I am the one who is asking you as a friend. Naruto…Have faith in us. Please. Go and save yourself." Naruto's eyes flicked to the side. He couldn't stand to meet his friend's eyes, which had always sparkled with power but now looked back at him pleadingly._

"_I won't leave you..." Naruto's equally soft and caring voice encompassed their bodies, suppressing the noise of the enormous battle around them. The commander watched him for a long moment with an emotionless face again._

"_I see. In that case, I have one last order for you as the Regimental Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces…and a last wish as your friend." Naruto nodded, then a sudden pain reached his weary mind from where his neck connected his skull._

"_Live and get stronger Hokage-sama!" The world slowly faded away from his vision. The last thing he saw was the Godaime Kazekage's form standing above him with a sad smile on his face. A small amount of sand slowly whirled back to the giant guard on his back, before he descended into the darkness of unconsciousness._

_That was the last time he saw him._

* * *

_A slumped figure stood in the thickening rain, gently stroking a giant stone spike, carved by skillful hands into the hard mountain side. Freezing cold rain drops flowed freely down Naruto's face, stabbing his skin like ice needles, mixing with his own warm but silent tears. Darkened eyes ran over the landscape of the empty lands, where two days ago Konoha and her people lived their lives inside the slowly growing number of buildings since Pain's attack. However, that which Nagato failed to destroy, the juubi had finished with just one well-aimed bijuu-dama during their last fight for Suna._

_With one leap, he hopped down onto the hard surface, ignoring the pain in his ankles. At least it proved that he wasn't dreaming; however, deep down he really hoped that it was all just a nightmare and that he would wake up in his old apartment. His orbs moved toward the only memorial of his village, the giant mountain with five faces carved into its hard surface. An enormous crack ran through the faces of the First and Second leader, while the lower half of Sarutobi's face simply disappeared. Maybe he was selfish, but he was still glad that, by some miracle, his father's and Tsunade's faces were untouched by the destruction._

_Naruto slowly shook his head, and he could feel a crack running through the surface of his own heart. He thought he had developed a sixth sense, that he would feel if something was happening to his beloved village. But he felt nothing when the black ball impacted with the center of the village. He didn't even notice it during the fight, that Konohagakure no Sato was no more, while they fought for Sunagakure no Sato. Nothing left behind. No debris, no ruins, no broken beams, no half collapsed building...nothing. But thankfully there were also no dead bodies of friends and civilians like on the first battlefield or at Suna. The Village Hidden in the Leaves and most of her people had disappeared from the world's surface silently._

"_Gamakichi…Bring me back please." Naruto's soft whisper filled the empty land around them. The orange toad didn't answer, only nodded and the two figures disappeared from the empty land with a loud puff._

* * *

_The wall shook from impact and a long crack appeared where Naruto's fist connected with it. Dilated crimson red eyes flamed with an unreadable emotion while they took in what remained of the Allied Shinobi Forces filling the grounds of Mount Myōboku. Some of them were on the verge of life and death, while others sat without even a scratch;some eyes burned with pure hatred or determination, while others simply stared unfocused into the nothingness in front of them._

"_How many?" His voice was weak and cracking, while Sakura stepped next to him._

"_Maybe two or three thousand. But thankfully not everyone is here. Some civilians managed to flee from Konoha before the Bijuu Dama strike after they heard what had happened to Suna and some of them had left even before the real fight started. We still have smaller forces here and there beside the survivors from the last battle. Maybe another thousand. We have around six hundred shinobi from Konoha here, the rest are from the other nations...Madara...He knows what he is doing. First he separated the mind...the headquarters, then the sealing team...Then Konoha and Suna to dismiss the backup. The other three hidden villages already evacuated just for safety's sake. Most of the civilians dissolved throughout the lands in small groups." Naruto clenched his hands into fists, his nails painfully cutting into the soft flesh of his palm. Sakura let out a weary sigh after sending a concerned look to her teammate._

"_Naruto?" _

_The blond simply shook his head. "Prepare the new headquarters with Shikamaru, Darui and Kakashi. Paa will help you. He won't be able to find us here for a long time."_

"_And you?" _

_A sad smile appeared on Naruto's face, but his eyes flamed with a new determination. "I got an order from Gaara." With this, he simply turned around and left._

* * *

_Two men occupied the small clearing, their forms gracefully standing amongst the giant plants of Mount Myōboku. The two shinobi suddenly launched toward each other, their movement blurred by their insane speed. Fists connected with palms, rough hits were gracefully swept to the side by a single sweep of an arm. The intense spar continued for an hour, before Naruto almost collapsed on the soft grass of the clearing after a last series of well-aimed juuken strikes. The heavy breathing of the blond boy filled the clearing, while the Hyuuga clan head gave a helping hand for the jinchuuriki to get up._

"_You are still too hot headed. Your attacks become sloppy when you lose self-control." A half smile appeared on Naruto's fine features. He raised his hand to scratch the back of his head sheepishly, but it collapsed back to his side halfway. In the end the teen shrugged. Hiashi let out a weary sigh and pressed his fingers to several parts on Naruto's arm to reopen the closed tenketsu points._

"_That's enough for today." Naruto shook his head, his eyes flashing with determination and sheer stubbornness._

"_Not yet. I can take more." The collected Hyuuga rubbed the bridge of his nose and swept the sweat from his forehead, then in the end just nodded._

_The two figures jumped backwards immediately, their bodies moving to stance unconsciously before they shot forward once more._

* * *

"_Kakashi-sensei."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_I know you don't like to talk about it, but…Could you tell me more about dad and the others? I know almost nothing about your past. About your team. I want to understand why he did it. I want to understand what happened to Obito and I want to hear more about my parents." The silver haired jounin closed his eye and didn't answer._

_They sat side by side in the afternoon breeze under the shadow of an other world plant in the shore of a meadow, enjoying the sounds of nature around them. Naruto shifted nervously and winced when the movement awakened the pain in his muscles due to his previous training session with Raiton. After five minutes in complete silence, Kakashi finally opened his eye and turned his head toward the cerulean blue sky._

"_I met your father for the first time when I graduated from the academy. He stood at the gates, waiting for me…"_

* * *

_Black silhouettes stood around a giant table. The new headquarters was filled with the remaining Allied Shinobi Forces. Naruto simply leaned back against the wall; his arms were buried deep inside his pockets, almost perfectly mimicking the common habit of his sensei. His eyes were closed, but his ear was sharp enough to pick up the soft ruffle of the map on the table, the argument amongst the shinobi, the twitch in their heartbeat. The smell of the fresh ink they used to mark spots on the large map in front of them. It was irritating…_

_Naruto let out a sigh and escaped from the cascade of senses into his own mindscape. He stepped inside the seal, while his eyes ran over the drastically changing environment with amusement. The sewer was slowly starting to transform. The dark water had disappeared two weeks ago, and he could already see some green spots all over the landscape. Ossier trees germinated in the middle, while the pipes were slowly shrouded by a thick jungle of ivy._

'_When I opened the seal, you didn't mention this little side effect, Kurama.' The fox shrugged in his mindscape._

"_**You don't like the new design?"**__ Naruto shook his head._

"_No, it's nice. I'm actually talking about my senses. It's annoying."_

"_**Deal with it. You should be happy with your sharpened senses."**_

"_I can't even sleep because of them."_

"_**You will get used to it in time. Don't complain like a sissy."**__ A furious snort left Naruto's real mouth, and he distantly felt a hand on his shoulder, forcing him out from his mindscape just in time, before he could sink in a deep argument with his fluffy tenant. He opened his eyes and glanced to the side to meet the questioning look on Sakura's face._

"_Nothing, just speaking with the furball." _

_Sakura made a nervous smile and settled down next to the blond boy. "I will never get used to it." _

_Naruto shrugged. "He is a nice guy, when he's not threatening to tear open my stomach if I do something stupid. Old habits die hard I think. I would be more concern about him if he suddenly started to act like a cute puppy." _

"_Yeah…" A nervous chuckle left Sakura's soft lips._

"_If I can get your attention back there." The irritated voice of Darui reached them and, to Sakura's surprise, they finally moved toward the giant table without any complaint._

"_Naruto. You will lead the first wave with Kitsuchi. The second will be Kakashi's, the third will be me." Suddenly a small toad appeared in the middle of the table, gaining everyone's attention in the room._

"_They spotted him near the remains of Konoha." Darui only nodded, and the small toad immediately hopped down from the desk and left without any further word. _

"_It's time for a strike."_

_Shikamaru tapped Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, I need to speak with Kurama. I have an idea for him." Naruto nodded and in the next second a shadow clone appeared beside him. His azure blue eyes shifted to crimson red, and his features became more animalistic._

* * *

"_Come on! Just a little bit more!" The blond teen desperately tried to concentrate fire chakra into his palms, mixing it together with the already small whirling cyclone, together with three clones._

"_Boss, it's going to-"_

_Before the clone next to him could finish the sentence, the technique broke down, and glowing orange flames grabbed the skin on his hands, stretching around the blond teen and the environment, destroying everything around them. The storm of fire and razor sharp wind finally died down around him, leaving only the smoke from the destruction mixed with the chakra filled smoke of the dispersed clones. He heard a desperate yell and muffled footsteps as someone ran toward him, numbed by the pain from his burned arm._

_The pain started to die down, the burning sensation replaced with cool, green medical chakra. The blond finally glanced up to his companion, looking deep inside the angry green eyes._

"_Idiot! You could have killed yourself with that jutsu." The blond teen didn't answer; he just let her finish what she had already started. Five minutes later, he straightened himself despite the continuous opposition of the pink haired girl._

"_Thank you Sakura. It would be safer if you get away from here."_

"_You don't think that I'll let you continue, do you? You've been out here for twelve hours and you almost burned your hands to coal!" The only answer she received was a determined glance from azure eyes. Hundreds of clones popped into existence with the same determination, and the pink haired kunoichi backed under a giant tree without a word, after a last sad glance into the flaming blue pools._

* * *

_Uzumaki Naruto lay on his back, his eyes focused on the cerulean sky, with its puffy clouds. It'd been two months since they made their last attempt to seal away the rogue Uchiha and the ten tailed beast. The Shinobi Alliance was slowly breaking, only a handful of ninja stayed together, fighting, and then withdrawing, then fighting again against the terror that showed up from time to time together with Madara, who was still looking for him to capture and gain the final nail to the coffin for the Shinobi World and the Truth._

_Thank Kami, the ten tailed beast hadn't been sealed inside Madara. Yet. Without Obito, and with his body being dead, Madara couldn't seal it away. All he could do was summon and control it.. That was the only thing restraining Madara and slowing him down. He needed time and this was their only help against the Uchiha. While he was searching for a way to seal away the beast and also hunting for him, they could act in the shadows and prepare their next attack. But if he figured out a way, found a sealing method which was able to restrain the unstable chakra of the incomplete ten tailed beast inside his dead body...If that happened they were doomed. The Eye of The Moon Plan would succeed, and then the Infinite Tsukuyomi would draw everyone into a false world._

_The blond teen slammed his fist into the soft soil next to his body. He let out a sigh and raised his hands in front of his head, focusing a small amount of chakra into his thumbs, and watched with an emotionless face as the electricity jumped from finger to finger with a soft chirping._

_Every offensive attack they used had almost no effect on the ten tailed beast. Sheer power and stamina weren't enough to take down that monster, and Naruto learned it the hard way. He had spent time on learning other elements to take down that thing, had learned and developed powerful techniques that could easy wipe out a whole village at full power, furthermore combining them with the attacks of Kurama, but it wasn't enough._

_They just slowed them down for a short period. Nothing was enough against that thing. It didn't matter how many times they killed that damn bastard, thanks to the Impure World Resurrection he came back like nothing had happened. Madara wasn't a fool, and he knew perfectly well how they could get rid of him. During the first battle, he had taken care of that threat after he erased the command center. He had chased down the sealing teams one by one. They had lost the rare seal masters from Kumo, two from Iwa, and all from Suna in a blink of an eye by only one powerful attack._

_The only way was to seal it away, together with Madara. But that damn Uchiha could counter their every remaining sealing method. None of them were powerful enough to contain that amount of power, and those could be used against him couldn't work because of the complexity of the preparations. The last two shinobi from the sealing teams were just users who couldn't develop anything new on their own. There were no more __real__ seal masters left._

_Naruto ran his fingers along the edge of the giant scroll, which he used as a pillow. He had found it an hour ago, deep in the toad's library. Maybe it could help them. He let out a defeated sigh, grabbed the scroll and left the shore without a word, when he felt another presence invading his musing. After Naruto left, a lonely figure stepped out from the edge of the other-world plants, with a worried frown on his face. Sai shook his head and gathered chakra into his limbs to catch up with his teammate._

* * *

"_I can't stand this silence. Why hasn't he shown himself since the last attack? That was two months ago!" Naruto slammed his fist onto the hard table, causing his friends to flinch._

"_Naruto!" Ino barked out from behind the table, where she rested her head on her folded arms. She glanced toward Sakura, who only shrugged as a response._

"_What?!" Naruto turned around and folded his arms in front of his chest, sulking and grimacing like a small kid. The blond girl only rolled his eyes in irritation._

"_Just when I really started to think you were maturing…" Naruto narrowed his eyes and stuck his tongue out toward the girl, but didn't respond. Shikamaru observed his friend for a long silent minute, his obsidian eyes narrowed with concern when he noted the dark circles around the hazed and darkened blue orbs._

"_You didn't sleep yesterday do you?" The blond boy let out a weary sigh and turned toward the Nara._

"_No. I'm working on something."_

"_On what?"_

"_On a new seal…" Sakura made a curious glance toward her teammate._

"_Another barrier?" Naruto shook his head._

"_No. Not this time."_

"_Then what?" Ino had lost her patience and just simply barked out, which reminded everybody of a long lost comrade and his dog. A small, sad smile appeared on Naruto's face, and it slowly transformed into a wide grin, which sent a cold shiver down Sakura's spine. It had been a long time since she last saw that grin. That fake grin of his._

"_That's a surprise." Naruto turned around and simply left the room without further explanation, but his mask immediately disappeared when he turned his back to his comrades and his foot crossed the doorstep._

"_Sorry everyone…" He whispered into the dark night with a weary and weak voice, but his once hazed and darkened eyes sparkled with new light of determination._

* * *

"_Tomorrow it will be over. I promise." Only fiery determination showed in the azure eyes of the young boy. _

"_And I don't go back on my word. That is my nindo. You can trust me. You know that, don't you?" The girl just nodded._

"_I told you that I'll break the cycle of hatred. I'll break this curse. If there is such a thing as peace I'll find it. Believe in me. This is my legacy that they left for me."_

_The girl didn't reply. Instead, a small sob escaped from her mouth as she leaned nearer to the boy's chest for comfort._

"_You were always like this, you idiot. You don't have to do everything alone. We're here too. You don't owe the world anything. Don't bear such a burden alone."_

"_I'm not doing it alone, dattebayo. You are here with me. You will always be with me, it doesn't matter what's happening. Just like Ero-sennin is with me, Tsunade, my parents, all my friends, my comrades…" _

"_It was their decision. Ino and the others knew what they were planning." _

"_It was a foolish plan...Shikamaru should have known that." Naruto murmured, his eyes moved toward the motionless body of Ino. She had tried to control Madara during their last battle. His eyes didn't move for long minutes and he averted his gaze only when he felt Sakura grip his clothes tight, to glance down to the eyes of his teammate._

"_Promise me, you won't do anything stupid!" A small smile appeared on Naruto's face, but it was slowly washed away when Sakura's eyes practically pleaded with him._

"_Promise me!" The blond eyed the girl for a long silent minute then nodded._

"_I promise."_

_Sakura nodded and leaned closer into the warm embrace, and in minutes, she drifted into a dreamless sleep, overwhelmed by her exhaustion. Naruto gently picked up the sleeping girl and placed his teammate into the next empty room._

_Naruto watched the sleeping Sakura for minutes, maybe for hours. He didn't know exactly. His hands gently stroked out a pink tuff from her face, and then he leaned closer, his lips stopping only millimeters from her ears._

"_I'm sorry Sakura. I'm going to break my promise. Take care." Naruto straightened himself and after one last glance he left the room. His steps echoed in the empty passageway, his face was emotionless, only his eyes sparkled with an odd light, while he opened his own room's door and grabbed a small scroll from his desk. He suddenly stiffened._

"_You are the only one who can still sneak up on me since I got Kurama's senses."_

_Spiky silver locks unfolded from the shadows of a corner, slowly revealing his silhouette centimeter by centimeter as Kakashi slowly walked toward the blond teen, his hands buried casually inside his pockets. The jounin didn't speak for a long silent minute, only his visible eye shined with an odd sparkle while he observed the young boy in front of him. A small smile appeared under the textile of his mask when he realized that he didn't have to tilt his head down as much as back then to look into the eyes of his student._

"_You got taller." A small smile appeared on Naruto's face, but he didn't answer. He surpassed the urge to retort with something harsh._

_The commander measured his once student from head to toe once more and he had to restrain a flinch when he suddenly realized why he looked so different this time._

_The azure orbs shined with a different flame, a flame that he saw first in the eyes of his own late-sensei, when he last saw him on the night before Naruto's birth. Preparing for the worst case scenario. Dozens of scrolls laid on the floor, already checked, though he still leaned above the last small scroll, memorizing its use in the knowledge of what was going to happen if he used it. What he was going to sacrifice if everything went wrong. He had the same eyes as the time Minato mentally prepared for his death just in case something went wrong._

_The jounin's chest squeezed painfully when his eye moved toward the small scroll in Naruto's hand. The whole situation was painfully familiar. Kakashi's lips were suddenly dryer than the deserts of Suna in a blink of an eye, and his voice cracked as he whispered._

"_I know what you are up to Naruto." The blond's muscles tensed, but he didn't move from his place._

"_You want to stop me?" _

_The jounin shrugged casually and took a step closer and gently freed the small scroll from his student's fingers. However, he actually wanted to scream at him, to just forget his stupid plan. He wanted to punch him in the face to beat some intelligence into his thick head or knock the blond out to stop him and take his place. However he didn't do any of that. He instead slowly rolled the small scroll open, and took a closer look at the painfully familiar design._

"_Would anyone be able to stop you?" _

_A half smile appeared on Naruto's face as he simply grabbed the scroll out of his sensei's hands and buried it deep into his cloak's pocket. "No." _

"_I thought that technique perished together with Konoha," Kakashi whispered._

"_I remade it from my own seal."_

"_And you've modified the design."_

"_Yes... I have been working on this for a long time. I finished it yesterday, but…If I had known what they were up to, then I-" Naruto gathered his thoughts and emotions, and hardened his face._

"_This form will allow me to use it even if I'm a jinchuuriki."_

"_Will it be enough? To restrain both of them? Back then it was only able to contain half of the Kyuubi's power."_

"_It __will__, but only with Kurama's power boost. He will be able to slip out from the seal before…" Naruto shook his head, and then simply continued listing the facts, which oddly calmed him down. "This is the only seal which is capable of it. With the modifications, it acts like a seal tag and not like a ninjutsu as the original technique. The effect will be immediate. And I am the only one who can use it, before you think about something stupid, like trying to knock me out and take my place." A long, weary sigh left Kakashi's lips, muffled by the cloth of his mask, heating his skin under it._

"_I've always wished you would follow your father's footsteps…But not in a way like this." Kakashi slowly shook his head and they stayed in silence for a long soundless minute, enjoying each other's company in the small room and the gently leaking symphony of the cicadas, crickets and the fauna._

"_Why are you here Sensei? Will you try to convince me not to do it?" Kakashi stepped closer and gentle hands squeezed Naruto's shoulders reassuringly. The edges were rough by the years of fighting, but it still felt softer against his tense muscles than anything he could currently think of. It wasn't a real hug, but it felt even more to the blond from his restrained teacher._

"_Nope. You are as stubborn as your father and your mother. You won't listen. I just hope I could make a proper farewell this time... Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato."_

"_Kakashi-sensei…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Don't call me that…I'm not..." _

_The jounin closed his eyes, for a long moment, before his eyes turned into a familiar form, hinting at the wide smile under his mask. "I decline." _

_Naruto let out a sigh, then with a soft chuckle he turned around to leave. He feared that if he looked at his teacher once more, his determination would crack, but the temptation was too big to bear and he still glanced back, for one final look. His chest tightened and he lurched back to give one last quick hug to his stunned teacher. Kakashi, first a little hesitantly then warmly, returned it until Naruto took a step back and made a few small steps toward the door._

"_Sensei…" His voice was so soft, but still serious, and the smile under Kakashi's mask melted away._

"_Yes?"_

"_I leave Sasuke to you. Tell him that I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise. And tell the others that I'm sorry, and take care. And to never give up. All of you live a happy life. And go find a girl. Have a family. Have lots of children running around in creepy masks. Rebuild Konoha and her pride. Let the will of fire burn again in peace." Hatake Kakashi stood silently, listening to the last words of his student and when he finished, he made the deepest bow he could manage, and his always collected voice trembled for a moment before it echoed back to him inside the small room._

"_I will, Hokage-sama…" He glanced up a moment later in the hope to meet with those azure eyes one more time, but his student was already gone._

* * *

_Naruto glanced at the other side of the valley from the head of the Shodaime, while the waterfall shined with a cold silver glow by the full moon above them. He had sucked in a long breath, freezing his chakra flow for a moment, before he pushed out a huge amount of Kurama's chakra toward the distant lands._

_He ran through a long chain of hand-signs and rolled open a scroll made from fine vellum. With a puff of smoke, a hitai-ate appeared on the ink black design on its surface, together with a worn thick orange coloured diary; a copy of Jiraiya's first book and several other belongings of Uzumaki Naruto he held dear. He gently sealed each of the things back into the scroll, after his fingers stroked the surface of a few photographs, silly things like a pressed leaf from Konoha, or the last remaining pieces of Tsunade's necklace. The last memorials of long gone comrades, friends. One last attempt to say goodbye to their memories. When he finished, only one thing remained in his lap._

_The proud insignia of Konoha glinted in the faint moonlight as he traced a finger gently on the curves of his old hitai-ate. Naruto looked around and let out a long sigh. His eyes squeezed shut, his teeth clenched, before he finally shook his head. The blond put the hitai-ate back on the fine surface and in the next second, it was gone, sealed away again, then put the scroll into one of his pockets._

"_**And now what?"**_

"_I already sent out the invitation. He will come. We just have to wait."_

"_**Are you really sure about this? There must be another way."**_

"_I'm sure. You will be able to leave my body before I pay the necessary price. Everything depends on your timing. I won't let you die with me." Kurama didn't answer. He'd been oddly silent in the last few days, while they had been traveling to their destination. He forced the fox to promise him that he would escape before the Shinigami strikes. He couldn't endure the loss of one more friend._

_He settled himself down and his eyes slowly closed to gather as many energy from the untouched nature around him as he could._

* * *

"_You have finally given up?" Naruto opened his eyes to reveal his golden orbs with horizontal pupils and glanced toward the Uchiha standing on top of his own stone head, whose expression mirrored the same lack of emotion on the stone replica's face. He tilted his head to the side, observing the calm man in front of him for a long silent moment with curiosity._

"_Why do you think I've given up?" _

_The Uchiha folded his arms in front of his chest. "You are here. Alone. Either you have given up or you still think after almost six months of useless battle that you are able to win against me." _

_A wide, cheeky grin appeared on Naruto's face. "The latter, dattebayo."_

"_You've chosen an almost sentimental location."_

"_It's fitting. Don't you think? Because this time, you will really die here."_

"_Ch. You won't even be able to make a scratch on me." Naruto let out a snort and shook his head, but the Uchiha didn't wait for his answer. Madara's form was colored with a golden shade when he gracefully landed in front of Naruto, whose form was already overwhelmed by the golden flames of pure chakra. The giant form of the Susanoo emerged around the Uchiha in the next second, deflecting the attack coming from Naruto in the next blink of an eye_

* * *

_The battle was enormous. Jutsus scarred and shook the landscape around them, just like almost a hundred years ago. New mountains rose from an earth release by Madara, while one of Naruto's wind releases cut a new canyon into the ground, diverting the ancient old river to a new direction under their feet. If any living thing was nearby, they would see that despite how hard Naruto struggled to win, the Uchiha simply played with him. It didn't matter how hard he trained, how strong he became. The Uchiha was always a step ahead. Naruto dropped himself to the ground on one knee, and only his heavy breathing could be heard over the scarred lands, while he tightened his grip on the newest enormous wound in his stomach. His golden locks hung freely from his crown; he had lost his hitai-ate long ago. It laid somewhere near, maybe shrouded by debris._

"_I'm impressed. A normal shinobi would already be unconscious after that wound. But it's still useless. You can't win against me. You are wounded and exhausted, while I'm still untouched." _

_Naruto felt his left eye twitch in his irritation and an unconscious snarl left his lips as he straightened himself one more time. His hand shot forward and released a kunai toward the Uchiha, sharpened with wind chakra, who didn't even bother to duck in his arrogance at seeing the small attempt. He just simply tilted his head to the side, to let the kunai pass. A satisfied smile spread across Naruto's face when the chakra covered blade suddenly stretched out, drawing a thin red line on the Uchiha's arrogant face. The smile grew into an animalistic grin when the first droplets of crimson liquid slowly flowed down his chin and dropped to the ground with an unnaturally loud splash._

"_Ha! Take that!" _

_His only answer was an irritated glare from the man in front of him._

"_Are you ready furball?"_

"_**Ten more seconds and we'll have the necessary amount of chakra." **_

_Naruto raised his hand to the side, not bothering with the enormous wound on his stomach and the countless cuts and bruises all over his body. A warm sensation filled his insides while his chakra slowly flowed into his palm and a shining electric blue globe appeared in it. His other hand was buried into his pocket, his fingers clenched around the scroll, staining it with his own blood._

"_Then this is farewell Kurama. Don't forget the right timing!"_

"_**Uzumaki Naruto…"**_

"_Yeah?"_

"_**It was honor to fight with you."**__ Kurama's voice was oddly weak, almost trembling._

"_The almighty Nine Tailed Demon Fox became sentimental. I'm touched." Nothing else could be heard inside his head. Kurama didn't answer, but it wasn't necessary._

_He felt no regret, no sorrow, no sadness and no despair like anybody else would when he was about to offer himself willingly to the Death god. He wondered if maybe his father also felt like this before he had done the sealing. The thought of his father filled his mind with happiness. _

_An odd and childish curiosity raised inside his chest. What would the belly of the Shinigami look like? Will he be able to see his father? See Jiji? Suddenly unfitting happiness and joy filled his chest, while his thoughts wandered toward his friends, his family, his comrades, toward all of the people he cared for._

"_It was an honor for me also. Take care Kurama."_

_He let out a long breath, his mind emptied, his breath and heartbeat slowed down. Only one emotion burned inside his head, flaming with blinding light inside his eyes._

_Sheer determination._

_A soft smile had appeared on his face. The aching of his wounds, the soreness of his muscles, the sharp pain in his abdomen became distant and dull._

"_I'm sorry everyone…Take care." A soft breeze ruffled his blond locks, picking up small leaves and dust from the scarred ground, dancing around his body, gently stroking his skin one last time, before carrying away the leaves together with his last words toward distant lands._

_Unearthly peace encompassed his mind and his soul, like after a warm caring embrace only which a parent could give to his child. Without thinking, he shot forward with insane speed, gathering all of his own remaining chakra into his feet, and slammed the whirling azure blue Rasengan toward the Uchiha's chest, while his experienced fingers broke the closing seal on the scroll, before the world around him became black._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

For those who think I made a big mistake at the end of the chapter:

Congratulations! You found a very, very important detail which will be a major point in the end. And what both Naruto and Kurama missed. If you can't find it, read it once more carefully! :) Sorry, no hints. :) If you find it, you will know what I'm talking about.

And yes, I'm up to date with the manga and already implemented the new happenings into my storyline so don't tell me what that Uchiha did.. ;) And where is he? What happened to them? And the other four? You will know with time. Well, not in the near future, but with time.

However, I repeat:** I'm going to ignore the manga from chapter 629!**

**Story recommendations:**

**Through the Hourglass** by **TimeKeeper21**

Who would have guessed that the hyperactive blond would have turned into that. Time-travel, No yaoi Used to be titled, Chaotic Symphony. (Its a shame its short and there are months between the updates. I'm really interested in this story.)


	17. Chapter 17 – Walking on Thin Ice

Disclaimer: Naruto and every character of the Naruto universe belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and companies, I don't know.

I would like to ask a burst of applause for my fantastic beta readers: **ImaginationJunkie1412** and **Skyisthelimit**.

**Original upload date: 8th of July 2013**

**Last update:-**

**Chance for a Prophecy**

**Chapter 17. – Walking on Thin Ice**

"Half of writing history is hiding the truth"

― Joss Whedon

* * *

"You eat like every meal will be your last one …" Naruto only shrugged in response and took another bite. Kushina dropped another piece of meat onto his plate, and Naruto tucked in, unaware of the blue eyes fixed on his frame as he demolished the meat in three bites. The blond teen let out a satisfied sigh and patted his rounding stomach, leaning back with closed eyes.

"Much better now," mumbled the young blond.

"Hey Toroku." Naruto sneaked a peek from the corner of one opened eye, showing that he was listening.

"I met with Inoichi and he told me something..." Naruto didn't move from his relaxed seat, nor did he react visibly, however a small hint of worry started to rise inside his chest. He had prepared in advance for this.

"What did you do with that lily?"

The teen only shrugged and stayed silent for a long minute before he gathered himself to answer. "I brought it to the memorial stone."

The Hokage tilted his head a little. His eyes mirrored only curiosity and fortunately not suspicion. But it was Kushina who asked the questionthat had instantly popped up in the hokage's head.

"Why?" Kushina's voice was full with curiosity and confusion as it echoed in the empty dining room of the Hokage mansion.

The teen only shrugged, his face oddly unreadable. When he had visited the memorial stone, he had mourned for his lost friends. But right now, they were all they would stay that way,even if he had to go through hell for them. There was no more need for mourning. They were breathing, living or growing inside their mother's tummy. He would never forget them. He would never forget everything they had done for him. He shifted nervously on the floor, then suddenly hopped onto his feet, grabbed a paintbrush, and threw it at his father with a cheeky smile in an attempt to change the subject.

"Lunch break is over. And don't forget, I want my room in orange."

"It wasn't a fair win. You still can't do it without your clones," Minato complained.

Naruto shrugged and moved to the side to lean against the kitchen counter. "I learnt it, didn't I? And it works. So I won." Minato's frustrated snort echoed inside the empty dining room, and he straightened himself from the floor and grabbed the bucket of the vibrant orange paint with angry, narrowed eyes.

"Kushina…remind me in the future to never, ever make a bet with Toroku again." Laughter filled the room in the next second, and the Hokage couldn't help himself. After a short second of silent sulking he joined in, his annoyance instantly melting away when Naruto's warm laugh surpassed everyone's voice. However Minato's blue eyes traveled toward his brother from time to time.

* * *

A worried look appeared on the face of the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato as he leaned over a scroll and tapped his chin continuously with the soft brush. He hummed, lost in thought, then let out a sigh. That was the moment when another blond man appeared in the open window, sticking his golden head inside the Hokage tower. His mouth was open to speak, but when he caught sight of the worried look on his father's face, he simply closed it and hopped down in front of his leader, eyeing him for a long silent moment with tilted head.

"I don't like that expression on your face."

Minato just waved a hand and leaned back against his carved chair to fix his eyes on the ceiling. "Just some village business." Naruto raised a curious eyebrow, his eyes fixed on Minato, who in the end finally opened his mouth to speak.

"We are having trouble with the ranking process. During the war, we made on-field promotions, but we still have potential genin who need to be tested. We need to hold a chuunin selection, but we don't have enough genin for a proper assessment. I'm afraid they'll have to wait one more year until more students graduate from the academy and gain the necessary experience to participate." A small chuckle left Naruto's mouth, earning a pointed look from his father.

"This is a serious problem you know. This could reduce morale amongst the genin."

Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "I don't think so. Let's just resurrect an old practice. Invite the other nations and you will get enough participants. I'm sure the Kazekage will be eager to send some teams to show off their skills to the Wind Daimyo."

Minato tilted his head a little, observing his younger 'brother' for a long moment with an unreadable expression on his face. "You think Ohnoki and the Raikage will just send genin teams to Konoha when we've just won a war against them? Normally it would be years until the first shared exam. Maybe even a decade or more." Naruto only shrugged.

"Who knows? Invite all five Kage as well. I'm sure all of the villages are in the processes of regrouping and restoration, so all of them need extra income. They'll have to demonstrate their power if they are to get new customers and the best time for that is a good old chuunin exam where clients are gathered in one place." Naruto casually explained his point, whispering a silent thank-you to Sarutobi who had explained the exam's real purpose to him. _'It would open so many possibilities if the five Kage met in this timeline…'_

"**The idea is good even if it came from you, but I would absolutely argue with the timing…Low profile you know, low profile."** Naruto send a mental shrug toward his never missing companion, earning an irritated groan from Kurama. The time traveler locked eyes with ones of identical color, looking for any hint to the thoughts behind those blue orbs. In the end, Minato only shrugged and made a contemplative face.

"It was years before the third shinobi war since we've last held a proper chuunin exam, that is true. And maybe having one now would bring the younger generations closer together. However I'm worried about the other nations. Most of them hold a grudge against Konoha and that could pose a high risk to the village… However… maybe…You know what? I'll consider it." A wide and satisfied grin appeared on Naruto's face. _'Success.'_

* * *

Naruto glanced down at the scroll in his hands after sending another suspicious glance toward his father. He was wearing that cunning grin again, and he couldn't help but worry about the thing in his hands. He moved his gaze downward and started to scrutinize the closed scroll with wary eyes, like it could attack him or bite off his hands at any moment.

"What _is_ this?"

"Your next assignment. It will be a long term mission. Three months long to be exact." Naruto raised an eyebrow and slowly rolled the scroll open, running his eyes over its content. When his brain finally processed the contents, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open, his mind already desperately starting to look for excuses he could use, but only Kakashi's silly ones came to mind. Kurama's snicker echoed inside his mind.

"**That's going to be interesting. We reap as we sow. Isn't that right, Naruto?"**

"No way in hell I'm going to accept this mission."

The sly grin remained on the leader's face. "It's your choice. This, or D ranked missions for an equivalent time period."

Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously,his mind jumping between anger and disbelief. "That's blackmailing, dattebayo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's soft chuckle filled the room in the next second as he looked at his successor with an amused expression on his face. "Indeed, that _is_ blackmailing Minato-kun."

The Yellow Flash only shrugged and leaned back in his seat confidently. "This or D ranked missions. It's not blackmailing. I'm simply giving you two options to choose from."

Naruto slowly shook his head in his defeat and an almost animalistic groan left his mouth as he burrowed his face in his palms. His voice was muffled by his hands, but it still cracked with irritation.

"I hate you…"

The Hokage only shrugged again and a satisfied smirk appeared on his face. "Then it's decided. Welcome to the ranks of the chuunin exam's supervisors. The first two months is mostly about preparations and diplomacy. That won't fully occupy your time, so you will still receive other missions during this period until the exam starts."

* * *

"I hate you…" Naruto mumbled onto the fine paper as he rested his forehead on the long letter he had just finished writing inside the Hokage office. That had been the last invitation letter, thankfully, which would be sent to the Tsuchikage by a small delegation tomorrow morning.

"You are going to mess up the ink, and then you'll have to start over."

An irritated groan left Naruto's mouth and he finally straightened himself, revealing a small ink smudge on his nose. A soft chuckle filled the room immediately, and Minato pointed toward his own nose to show that he had been right. Naruto rubbed his stained nose hard with narrowed eyes, continuously mumbling curses toward his father.

"Don't you have a secretary for these kind of things?"

"I do, but her calligraphy by no means matches your skill." Naruto rolled his eyes, but a small amount of pride formed inside his chest at the compliment. He did work hard on ingraining those damn symbols into his fine motor muscles for countless hours. Okay, it wasn't him, mostly his clones, but still. Receiving the memories of over a thousand boring hours was, for him, equal to a torture session with Ibiki. His mind traveled back to the events at Kusa, and a frown crawled on his face. He hadn't gotten any information about Kitsuchi since they had returned from Suna. His blue orbs flashed with concern and he hesitantly turned toward Minato.

"Who will bring the invitation to the Tsuchikage?" Minato didn't look up from the paper stack in front of him as he answered.

"You want to know when I will free Kitsuchi don't you?"

"Well, yes."

"He will leave tomorrow morning, together with the other delegations. I thought it would be a sign of good will if he was the one to hand over the invitation." A satisfied smile appeared on Naruto's face as his only answer.

* * *

"Hey Kitsuchi-Ojisan!" A blond teen jumped into the circle of ANBU around the four foreign shinobi, earning some irritated glances from the already tense guards and surprised looks from the Iwa fighters. The named giant narrowed his eyes, observing the newcomer with a frown on his face while the kunoichi next to him couldn't restrain her trembling muscles, shaking with fury and the urge to attack. The commander raised his arm in front of the woman and stepped in front of Naruto.

"What do you want?" The teen locked his hands behind his neck and a bright smile appeared on his face.

"Nothing, I just came to say goodbye."

The kunoichi raised an eyebrow and shouted. "Why the hell would you do that ? To show you are superior?"

Naruto furrowed a confused brow. " Superior? Why would I do that?"

The kunoichi let out a furious snort, her eyes still flamed with hatred, but a glance from her commander immediately silenced her.

"What do you want, Odoroki Toroku?" A wide grin appeared on the teen's face as he stepped closer and raised his right hand toward the stunned commander and halted it in midair. Kitsuchi narrowed his eyes, observing the offered hand for a long silent minute, waiting for the boy to finally drop it, but his eyes mirrored only determination and nothing more. His hand moved almost unconsciously toward the outstretched hand, but paused before they could make contact

"Why are you doing this? We kidnapped you. We tried to kill you." Naruto only shrugged, his hand never moving from its place.

"What's past is past, You can't change it , but you can try to build something better for the future." Suddenly an amused expression appeared on his face, like he was stunned by a joke that only he could understand. His expression finally settled on his face as a soft smile. "So, will you fall with me? Will you be the next to fall in the domino chain?"

The commander eyed him for another long, silent and tense second as he remembered distant conversations about dominos and change, but an amused snort left his mouth in response as he finally grabbed the hand in front of him to finally shake it.

"You really are insane." A cheeky smile appeared on Naruto's face as an obvious answer.

"Yes, he is. Insane and suffering from a serious hero complex." Naruto turned his head to send an annoyed look toward the slowly approaching Minato. The Hokage stepped inside the circle and nodded toward the commander, who mimicked his greeting with a cold expression.

"Kitsuchi-san, here is the invitation letter we were talking about. Despite what happened before, we are still looking forward to seeing genin from Iwa part in the exams." The commander only nodded again and turned around to finally leave the village after an almost one month long stay in its hospitality. They stepped through the gates, together with the ANBU squad who would escort them until they reached the borders. An unconscious sigh of relief left his mouth when they were finally far enough from the gates. A cheerful yelp still reached them from behind.

"See you later at the chuunin exams! And don't forget to bring Ohnoki-jiji with you!"

"Ohnoki-jiji?!" The kunoichi raised an amused eyebrow and glanced back to the still waving teen.

"Interesting shinobi isn't he?" Kitsuchi's deep voice forced the woman out from her thoughts as she nodded her answer unconsciously, before her mind drifted back to the teen.

* * *

Naruto leaned over a blank scroll, stretching out his arms in front of him. He grabbed a small jug and a kunai to mix his blood with the black ink for a new barrier seal he was about to do. He made a small slice on one of his thumbs and raised it above the jug to let blood flow freely into it, but after one small crimson droplet, the flow suddenly stopped. Naruto frowned and repeated the process, but the small cut was almost immediately gone as soon as the blade left his thumb. The blond let out an irritated groan, and sank into his mindscape to face the snickering fox.

"You've got a very wicked sense of humor. Stop healing me!" Another animalistic snicker echoed inside his mindscape, and he was pushed out from it by a small flick of an enormous rolled his eyes while repeating the process again only to gain just another drop of his crimson red blood before the small cut disappeared from his thumb.

Naruto exploded in the middle of his room, forgetting himself he shouted out a long loud oath, mustering his entire colorful vocabulary. He was on the verge of tearing out his own shiny golden locks, when the door swung open and a concerned looking redhead peek inside the room. The blond boy froze between two words and scratched his cheek in his embarrassment.

"Eh, sorry, I accidentally kicked the table." Kushina only slowly shook her head and rolled her eyes, the ruby red locks following her movement gracefully in the air.

"Geez, you are a shinobi who manages to leave without a scratch from a spar with Minato and you are going to limp for a day because the table attacked you." Naruto only made an annoyed shrug and watched as his mother shook her head one more time before closing the door behind herself. The blond teen let out a weary sigh and sat down next to the named table once again.

'_One more prank like this and I will arrange a karaoke night in my mindscape just for you!'_ Naruto couldn't see, but he still felt as Kurama grimaced and winced in his mindscape.

"_**I'm bored…"**_

'_Occupy yourself as you always do, I don't let me work.'_

"**What are you doing anyway? You already made at least a dozen barrier tags."**

'_I'm doing this so we don't have to worry over people seeing us training. It will mask your chakra so we can train together.'_

"**So, you will let me out?"**

'_Only if you let me finish it. If anyone recognizes your chakra we'll be in big trouble.'_ A wide smirk appeared on the fox's face.

"**That will be fun. I'm going to tear you into small pieces."** Naruto rolled his eyes. Their relationship had morphed into something you could call a real friendship, but Kurama was still the nine tailed demon fox, and sometimes his old personality broke through despite their new bond. Just like with Sasuke before the chuunin exam. They had gotten along very well, but he still behaved like a bastard sometimes.

Naruto let out another weary sigh when the memory of his old friend popped up again in his head. Thoughts of him broke through the barrier he had made to barricade himself from his old life. During their first fight with the Juubi, he had sensed him near Konoha. He hadn't realized it during the battle, only when they had retreated to Suna. But when he started to look for his friend while in the desert, he couldn't find him anymore. As if he had disappeared from the face of the Earth. He didn't think he was dead. He would never think that. Something or someone somehow locked him away from his sennin mode, just like Madara had done this time and back then.

'_Hey Kurama. Don't you think they are somehow connected?'_ The fox narrowed his eyes while he thought about the possibilities.

"**Maybe."** The bijuu shrugged and didn't make any other comment. He simply closed the conversation, and bedded himself under the trees to take a nap.

'_You are a big help…'_ Naruto let out a sigh, grabbed the kunai once more to finally start work on the seal, and slammed the invisible door close in front of the memories of his raven haired teammate.

* * *

Two shinobi stood straight and tense inside a large office, facing a short, almost childlike man, who read the scroll with an emotionless face. His eyes narrowed when he finished reading, and he finally moved his gaze toward the two ninja in front of him.

"Tell your Hokage that Kiri will participate in the exams." The leaf kunoichi nodded, acknowledging his answer and waited patiently for further words.

"I will attend the finals."

* * *

A small satisfied smile appeared on the mostly stern face of the Kazekage. His gaze was fixed on the slowly whirling sand on the horizon, where the two shinobi from Leaf had departed an hour ago with his answer. He was more than glad to show Suna's growing strength to new clients and to the Wind Daimyo. The almost unnoticeable sound of rustling soft textile reached his ears, and his satisfied smile turned into a warm and caring one. His eyes immediately softened when his wife stepped inside the room with an unbelievably small sleeping baby in her arms.

Karura slowly swept a small auburn tuft away from the small child's forehead, and the Kazekage's thoughts wandered toward a certain young blond man. He silently whispered his gratitude into the soft wind of the desert in the hope that it would carry his thoughts to the Land of Fire.

* * *

Old and wrinkled skin moved as the Third Tsuchikage narrowed his eyes when he finished rereading the scroll his commander and relative had given him only minutes ago for the second time. Thoughts raced inside his head, looking for traps, and opportunities. His old eyes moved toward Kitsuchi who stood still in front of him, waiting for his order.

"Why on earth would Iwa participate in this show-off?!" Kitsuchi tilted his head to the side, looking for an answer in his own mind, then in the end only shrugged.

"I don't think they intended this to be a show-off. They need more commissions, so does our village. If we don't participate they will earn a great advantage by showing their forces to the clients." The leader raised an eyebrow and let out a doubtful and annoyed snort, but his mind already started to hover around new clients and a possibly larger income.

"I really think we should participate, furthermore I advise you to also attend the finals." A grimace appeared on the leader's wrinkled face.

"So be it. But there is no way I'm going to set a foot into Konoha unless it's for a direct invasion."

"Then please allow me to escort the genin teams." The Tsuchikage narrowed his eyes as he observed his companion suspiciously.

"Were you brainwashed or what? You hate those tree huggers. You were their captive for a month, and now you are telling me you want to go back?"

The commander stayed silent for a long moment before he finally answered. "I really believe they are seeking peace with us and with the other nations. I was convinced of this during my…captivity. I still hate them, but…I want to make sure of something for myself." Kitsuchi's eyes became foggy and unfocused, his thoughts wandering toward a certain blond shinobi, while his leader observed him with narrowed eyes.

"Make sure about what?" The commander hesitated again before he eventually gave his answer.

"That I have the courage to forgive…and to fall."

The leader raised a curious eyebrow. "Forgive whom? Konoha? They won the war, we should we forgive them? Why should _you_ of all people forgive them? We will win the next war and we will wipe out their existence from even the history books."

Kitsuchi slowly shook his head, an unreadable expression appearing on his mostly stern features. "In war, there are no winners. Only survivors…" The Tsuchikage narrowed his wrinkled eyes and watched silently as his commander left the room without any further words.

* * *

A furious snort echoed all around the room as an enormous chakra spike sent shivers down the attendants' spines. Two shinobi with a leaf hitai-ate shifted on their legs uncomfortably while a muscular man clenched his right hand until his joints became white, restraining himself with every nerve not to smash something in his annoyance.

"So Leaf wants to demonstrate power? So be it. Tell your Hokage that Kumo will participate." One of the leaf shinobi nodded, and after a hesitant moment he opened his mouth.

"We are glad you accepted the offer Raikage-sama. Konohagakure no Sato and Yondaime-sama are also hoping for your personal attendance during the finals." The shinobi made a deep bow, not aware that the Kage's eye twitched with irritation. The Kage opened his mouth to speak, but a voice behind him interrupted his effort.

"Is the young man very similar to your Hokage still alive?"

The leaf shinobi slowly and hesitantly spoke after he shared a quick glance with his companion. "Yes Bee-sama. Toroku-san is very much alive." A wide and satisfied grin appeared on the man's face behind the Raikage.

"Great. I want to speak with him." The Raikage narrowed his eyes, observing the man who was his brother in every way but blood next to him for a long silent second.

"And you think I will let you go there alone Bee?" His only answer was a grin from the jinchuuriki.

* * *

Minato narrowed his eyes when he reached a giant glowing purple barrier, blocking their sight and senses from the inside while Kakashi jumped down next to him from a branch.

"Where is Jiraiya?"

Kakashi shrugged. "He mentioned something about research before he left." The Hokage rolled his azure eyes, and examined the barrier with increased curiosity.

"How long has he been inside?"

"For two hours sensei. He didn't let me in. He said he wanted to try something big."

The Hokage narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the barrier. When his experienced hands reached its surface and channeled some chakra into the closing seal, the purple barrier didn't disappear or let him in like he first thought it would. Minato frowned and made a wondering face, but in the end he only shrugged, and a cheeky smile ran across his features before he disappeared with a flash of his golden locks.

* * *

Naruto let out a long breath with closed eyes, before he opened them slowly and glanced toward his opponent opposite him inside the barrier, observing his actions calmly. The clone with shining red eyes, dilated pupils and widened whisker marks on his cheeks stiffened when his opponent's eyes transformed into a shade of gold, his pupils altered, but without the orange markings around his eyes. Two clones popped into existence next to him.

The clone currently controlled by Kurama grinned, his canines sticking out under his lips, twisting his face into a feral expression. Naruto grimaced at his own animalistic image, and nodded toward the clones beside him. Chakra gathered inside his hand while the other clones started to mix their own chakra into the jutsu. The rasengan in his palm first shined with an orange light from the fire chakra, before almost immediately brightening into blinding pure white when the wind chakra also mixed into the whirling orb. It didn't change the form; this time he only manipulated the nature of chakra he mixed into it. The two clones disappeared when they finished their jobs. Naruto felt a tug outside the barrier, but he had already started moving. It was too late to stop now.

In the next blink, he threw the chakra ball toward the still grinning clone at the other side of the barrier-enclosed space, but his eyes widened with shock when another figure appeared behind the suddenly frozen Kurama.

Minato's eyes widened when he turned his head and was faced with an attack sweeping right toward his head only a meter away, overwhelming his vision and his other senses. By pure instinct he immediately grabbed the clone, a split second before the ball of chakra exploded and the two figures disappeared inside the burning inferno.

A smoking man landed harshly behind Naruto's back with a loud moan, together with the still stunned Kurama, but the clone dispersed as soon as it made connection with the hard soil, filling the air with smoke. A relieved sigh left Naruto, together with the last remains of nature chakra, before he finally turned around to face with his panting father sitting on the ground, his eyes still wide, staring in front of himself with a blank expression, his body overwhelmed by the sudden rush of adrenaline.

Minato slowly gathered himself and rose from the ground to send a pointed and very angry glare toward Naruto.

* * *

The purple barrier suddenly wobbled and vanished like it had never been there. Kakashi slowly shook his head and let out a long sigh, then jogged into the center, where two blonds loudly argued over something, the edge of the Hokage's white robe still smoking a little.

"Are you out of your mind?! You could have blown everything up!"

"It was your own damn fault! You were the one who just appeared right in the middle of the attack behind my shadow clone! Did you even think about why I might have put up that damn barrier?" A small hint of panic leaked from his voice when a dangerous snarl and a proper amount of killing intent left the Hokage, freezing Naruto in his movement. However the feeling was gone in the next moment as the Yellow Flash shook off his sudden anger.

"What the hell was that anyway?" A frown appeared on Minato's face when he touched his scorched, half missing right eyebrow.

"That was a two element combo I'm currently working on." Naruto shifted his gaze to observe his scorched eyebrow and burst out laughing. "Hey! Nice new design! I'm sure your fangirls will love that."

A muffled chuckle escaped behind Kakashi's masked mouth when his one visible eye also locked on the remains of his once teacher's eyebrow. Expression disappeared from Minato's face in the next second before he folded his arms in front of his chest. He watched the hysterically laughing teen and narrowed his eyes when he noticed the restrained laugh of his student.

"'D-ranked missions for the next week." It was too much for Kakashi, seeing Naruto's sudden change in expression. He burst out with a barking snicker at the chuunin's wide eyes and gaping mouth, but the Hokage's stern voice and emotionless face directed at him immediately froze the laugh inside his body.

"You too."

"Sensei! But I didn't do anything."

A cocky smile spread across the Kage's face as he shrugged off the complaint and the childish whining of his always collected student. "You were laughing."

Minato glanced toward his still gaping other blond companion with a cold expression.

"Toroku. Briefing about the exam in three hours, in my office. Be there!" With this last stern and emotionless statement, the Hokage disappeared from the field with a flash of his golden locks, leaving behind nothing other than two still shocked and gaping teens.

Naruto's eyes were locked onto the spot where his father had disappeared from for a long silent minute, before his limbs slowly started to tremble, his eyes narrowing until only small slits were visible from his azure blue eyes, and he shouted out, "This means war, you got that!?"

"Like he can hear you…" Kakashi muttered under his breath, his arms folded across his chest. Naruto gripped the arm of the jounin and dragged him away from the clearing, continuously mumbling something incoherent, until he finally found his voice.

"You go and get pink paint. I'll go and get…" The jounin didn't listen, eventually succeeding in shrugging himself free from the blond's grip and returning to his previous posture.

"No way in hell. I won't take part in this." Naruto raised an eyebrow while he leaned down to face the young jounin.

"Are you a scaredy cat? Jounin Hatake Kakashi? What about your reputation? Are you just going to chicken out from this?" The named teen narrowed his eyes, but in the end only nodded.

"If you do what I think you are planning to do, we will be doomed to D rank missions for the rest of our lives and not for just a week thanks to _you_ again. I won't participate. If you even touch his coat, he will skin you alive." Naruto folded his arms in front of his chest and turned away from his companion to silently sulk over his betrayer. Finally it was Kurama's voice inside his head that kicked him out from his thoughts of vengeance.

"**Do you think he sensed me? Or your senjutsu?" **Naruto shook his head.

'_I don't think so. He was too preoccupied with evading the attack. I didn't think someone would just teleport into the middle of the barrier.'_ His stomach started to rumble, and a smile appeared on his face. _'I think we deserved some ramen after this training don't you think Kurama?'_ The named fox only rolled his giant crimson eyes.

* * *

The blond chuunin moaned in his satisfaction as the hot soup slid down on his throat, warming up his body from the inside out until it reached even his toes. He picked up the pink fishcake with his chopstick and it disappeared into the endless pit that was his stomach with another groan, while the toad sannin only rolled his eyes next to him. Ramen. The meal of God's, especially after a hard training session.

"It's easy to satisfy your needs gaki. One bowl of ramen and you're in heaven." Naruto sent a cheeky smile toward his teacher and turned back to his steaming bowl.

"Not like your needs are all that complicated either, you old pervert."

Jiraiya snorted and turned toward the other end of the counter to continue trying to sneak a peek under a woman's clothes. "There is nothing more satisfying than the sight of a perfectly curved female body."

"Yeah, especially if the named woman is blond with big boobs, not to mention deadly." Naruto muttered between two bites. Fortunately Jiraiya was too preoccupied with the discrete flash of cleavage from the brunette at the other end of the counter.

"What was that?"

"Nothing…" Naruto muttered with a full mouth before he swallowed the last remains of his meal and stretched his arms behind his head. "What will we do tomorrow?"

Jiraiya finally averted his eyes from the woman's chest to meet Naruto's "Minato told me something about D-rank missions for you and Kakashi, but I dismissed it. We'll get a day off."

A relieved sigh left Naruto. "Thank Kami…I didn't_ think _he was being serious."

"What did you do to him? He didn't want to tell me." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Let just say that I burned his dignity a little bit." Jiraiya raised a curious eyebrow and waited for him to continue. "He used his stupid Hiraishin to invade my barrier and he appeared behind my clone when I was trying out a new attack. I literally burned most of his right eyebrow off accidentally." Jiraiya burst out in a fit of laughter for a long while until he finally composed himself.

"A small shake up never hurt anyone. Even the strongest person could be in trouble if he let his guard down in the wrong moment. "

A sour half smile appeared on Naruto's face. "Yeah…"

Jiraiya got up from his seat and tapped his shoulder. "Come on gaki, I've got some business. Will you accompany me? I want to finish some things before the briefing." Naruto nodded and followed the toad hermit along the streets of the village.

He'd already figured out their destination- they'd used the same path a hundred times when Jiraiya headed for some "research" at the bath houses. A nostalgic feeling filled his chest. He had always enjoyed these moments with the old man, just walking beside each other silently, just the two of them. It always reminded him of the old times, when they wandered around Fire country, in Konoha, or in any foreign city.

"Hey gaki!" Jiraiya's voice snapped him out from his musing, and only his reflexes prevented a new bruise on his cheek as he grabbed a scroll flying straight toward his face.

"Hey! What the hell were you thinking?"

The sennin chuckled and waved a hand "You seemed lost in your thoughts, so I thought I should shake you up a little."

"Couldn't you poke me instead or something?" Naruto's mumble died down suddenly when he realized what was in his hand. The soft surface of fine vellum rested inside his palm like a lover, and the unnoticeable amount of his own chakra pulsed faintly from inside the closing seals, together with the rhythm of his heartbeat. He glanced down at his hand, and his surprise melted into anger.

"Explain! Now! You stole it!" Naruto's voice was oddly imperious and commanding, something he gained during the Fourth Shinobi War. Strangely, Jiraiya immediately straightened himself unconsciously and opened his mouth to answer, but when he realized his actions after a moment, he instantly shook his head to ease away the urge to explain himself like he did something wrong, or he had to report something. It was…odd. He sounded just like Minato. In the end, he only shrugged to dismiss his sudden guilt and started walking to break the tension.

"Minato asked me to check it out for him, just after I had arrived. So I took it." Naruto frowned. _'That was almost four months ago.' _He had completely forgotten about his scroll… A soft, almost invisible smile appeared on his face when he traced his fingers along the edges of it, but it was almost immediately replaced with a troubled frown again. Jiraiya had stolen it from his cupboard where he had hidden it. Since that time, he hadn't even thought about it. Not even when they moved to the Hokage Mansion. He was sure he couldn't open it now. If he got it back now that could only mean one thing…But he had to be sure.

"You couldn't open it either." More a statement than a question. Jiraiya only shrugged once more.

"The first layer is a simple blood seal, Minato could probably open it, after all he is a close relative of you. That seal isn't so complicated that it could tell you apart from a very close relative." Naruto just stared back to his sensei, his previous raising anger immediately disappeared and he was now hanging on to his every word. He was about to receive some proper feedback about his work, and not just sheer and harsh critique like before on his barriers.

"The second layer required your own chakra signature, it's just a standard one. The third is much trickier. It requires some kind of manipulated chakra, an elemental chakra maybe, or a mixed one, but as with all of your seals, it's confusing. It reminds me of something, but…" Jiraiya's sudden sharp glance stabbed him like a knife for a second, as if he was staring into his very soul. The third layer required Kurama's and his own mixed chakra. It couldn't be that he recognized it, could it?

"**If he recognized it, we would be surrounded by ANBU and suppressor seals and not walking on the path idiot…"**

"But what?"

"Nothing, just a silly idea." Jiraiya only waved a hand dismissively.

"The fourth layer is another interesting one. The existence of a specified summoning contract." Jiraiya glanced at him once more, this time his eyes only shined with curiosity.

"Have you tried to summon anything since you came here?"

Naruto shook his head instantly as a reply, maybe a little bit too fast, while Jiraiya hummed in response with a wondering face. He hadn't tried it since he getting stuck in this timeline. If he had, and it was successful, there was no way he could explain how he was able to do that without signing the contract; and if it failed, he feared that the toads would know that someone had tried a summoning. He didn't know enough about summoning contracts to risk it. Of course it would be useful if he could use the toads, but the risk was too high.

"Based on the design, I would say the necessary contract should be the toad contract." Naruto froze in place, his eyes bulging from his skull in an unnatural way. _'Shit.'_ He didn't dare to blink, or breathe, he just waited for Jiraiya to continue and thankfully he didn't turned back to see his shocked face. When he finally did so, Naruto's mask of utter shock was replaced with real curiosity.

"Well, this option is impossible, because I have the only existing toad contract and it doesn't contain any new names. At this time, only Minato and I are toad summoners, nobody else. It's also impossible for you to have made one of your own, the toads assured me that they know their every summoner and they don't know _you_. But I would still say that your contract is very similar to my toads." Jiraiya hummed again, lost in his thoughts, then he started walking again, a little slowly, waiting for him to catch up. He glanced back to Naruto, observing him curiously while he stated his next sentence.

"A kind of amphibian or reptile. A frog maybe or a _salamander_. Something that likes the wet weather like rain, don't you think?" Naruto only shrugged, not getting what he was referring to or what he wanted from him and Jiraiya's disappointed expression didn't help him either.

"That didn't trigger anything, did it?"

Naruto made an odd grimace of perfect confusion, until he finally realized what his once-teacher was mumbling about. "You mean those déjà vu feelings? No, nothing like that."

Jiraiya let out a sigh and scratched his crown in a way Naruto had seen countless times when Jiraiya was disappointed. "It's a shame."

"Will you humor me?"

Jiraiya only ignored him and continued, making it obvious that he didn't want to reveal any of his thoughts or theories to him. "The fifth layer gaki…You were insane when you made that seal. Who the hell would put a trap on a closing seal?" Naruto only raised an eyebrow as an answer, not trusting in his own voice.

"Minato told me that you also weren't able to recognize it. With none of your other knowledge damaged, it indicates that this seal has a meaning for you, something from your memories. But this trap seal…It was familiar to me. It took me a lot of effort to finally realize why. I saw it only once, a long time ago, on the main entrance of Mount Myoboku." Naruto just stared back at the sannin with a blank expression on his face. He was beyond shocked. Too shocked to move his face muscles, and too shocked to suppress his emotions. He copied that trap exactly from that entrance. It would detect the intruder's will and if he found anything malignant it would trigger. Jiraiya observed him with scrutinizing eyes.

"If it weren't impossible I would say that you are a toad summoner, and that you've already visited Mount Myoboku. We are going to try out something."

"**Your old perverted teacher is smarter than I gave him credit for." **Naruto only nodded his head as an answer to both of them, his face fortunately still controlled from mirroring his shock.

"What do you want to try out?"

"The hand signs are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram. Bite your finger before you do it and smear some of your blood on your palms, and after the signs slam your hands onto the ground with an equal amount of chakra for one kage bunshin." Naruto just stared, exactly like he had in the last ten minutes, while his mind froze for a second before it started to spin crazily from the upcoming panic.

"**This is going to be interesting…"**

'_Shut up and help me... Shit…Shit…Shit…What should I do?'_ Naruto felt as the fox shrugged in his mindscape and after a second of consideration he finally answered.

"**Go with the flow. Hell if I know what will happen. It would be worse if you refuse to do so. If you managed to summon a toad we will confess."** Naruto made a hesitant step backwards to gain some space, raised his hand slowly and took a long time to stare down at it. In the end he shrugged and shook off his rising panic.

He sucked in a long breath, raised his thumb toward his pointed canine to make a small cut, and smeared the blood on his palm with the ease of an experienced summoner. Jiraya observed his every action carefully. Every movement was automatic, and screamed experience even when he ran through the hand signs and slammed his palm onto the hard surface with enough force to push the necessary amount of chakra into the seal array, but not enough to bruise his flesh. His muscle memory was perfect on how to execute the technique to call a smaller summon.

Naruto watched with a bated breath as the ink black marking of the summoning technique spread across the ground like a spider web, the familiar pattern forcing a small smile on his face, before it all disappeared into a chakra filled smoke. He didn't dare to blink, not even to let out the breath he had been holding in since he bit his thumb, waiting with muscles tensed to their breaking point for the smoke to finally clear away. Everything seemed so slow now, the mere second it took for the smoke to clear feeling like an hour.

Finally the air in his lungs left his chest together with a sigh as the smoke dispersed and he stared down at empty ground. He slowly glanced up toward his once sensei, who was staring down at the spot where a toad should be, a grimace on his face.

"Well, that is…unexpected. Apparently your name was erased from the summoning contract." Jiraiya made one more disappointed scowl, before continuing, "It seems then your scroll will stay closed. I talked to Pa- he said that the seal on the entrance was developed by the first toad summoner, and that it could be that he passed this knowledge to someone. He moved to Ame before he died." Jiraiya shrugged casually, then glanced up at the sun.

"Anyway. I don't think it contains an attack or something dangerous. It's a fine piece, with intarsia and made from vellum so I think it contains some personal stuff. I made a similar one when I was your age. I stored my precious materials and pictures in there." Naruto made a grimace. In both amusement and in disgust. He could only imagine what kind of precious materials and pictures _Ero-Sennin _had when he was a teenager with rampaging hormones.

But, he was right. He glanced down at his hand and squeezed the scroll a little bit, before burying it deep inside his pocket. It was Pa who had once told him about Jiraiya's old habit of storing his precious things in a special scroll. So he made one of his own to store his own precious things in. The last tangible remains and relics from his old life; pictures of old friends who'd survived the Fourth Shinobi War were sealed inside the scroll. Some other photos, gathered from here and there; the hitai-ate he got from Iruka and finally, a thick orange notebook, containing pieces from his life; training plans; sketches of new seals; and it sometimes also functioned as a diary or a memoir. Or something along those lines, where he could extract his troubled thoughts during the long and sleepless nights. It was also something Pa suggested that he do.

"I think you should take it back home. We've still got almost an hour before the briefing starts. We will meet there." Naruto only nodded, almost automatically, lost in his thoughts and still under the effects of the happenings before.

* * *

He stepped into the office at the exact time Minato had ordered, his eyes wandering toward the audience sitting next to his father: the stoically puffing Sandaime, the grinning Jiraiya, the three personal advisors of the Hokage. He stepped next to a familiar shinobi after a bow toward them. Naruto grinned to Makoto, dressed completely in black, and a smile forced its way onto the face of the middle aged interrogator when their eyes met for a moment.

"And now that the last of the main examiners has arrived, we can finally start the briefing." Naruto winced when his father's stern voice reached his ears, but when he turned and faced his father he had to mask the chuckle that threatened to explode from him with a cough as he noted the thin layer of chakra surrounding his seemingly now whole and shiny right eyebrow. A henge. Minato dangerously narrowed his eyes and Naruto immediately became silent.

"Sorry." The Hokage nodded and turned his attention toward the others.

"I have already received answers from every country. All of them will send teams, and it seems we can count on at least forty genin squads." Someone cleared his throat, and Minato closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh before he turned toward the source with a straight face.

"If you would like to make a comment, please feel free to share your thoughts with us."

"I already stated my point of view, but I will remind all of you once again. We are just out of war and you are risking the security of the Village with this exam. Especially by entrusting a new recruit without any background information with this event." Naruto narrowed his eyes, but when he turned his head toward the man, eyeing his appearance curiously, he found that he didn't recognize him. But he didn't miss the old man's sharp glare toward him. Minato glanced back with an emotionless face and folded his fingers under his chin to rest his head on them.

"I appreciate your concern for the village's welfare, Danzo-san, but the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the _details_ of the exam. We have already decided that it will be transacted. Security will be strict and strengthened; every foreign genin team will receive at least one special jounin guard and the village representatives an ANBU." Naruto frowned. _'Danzo…The same Danzo who almost became the Rokudaime?' _

Minato eyed the man for a second before he continued.

"As for who I have chosen as supervisor, that matter is not of your concern. I would like to remind you that _you_ are my advisor. I can _accept_ your advice, or I can _disregard_ it. If you think this is a major problem you could have introduced it to the general council when you had the opportunity. But Konoha won't back out from it now." Naruto would find this small confrontation amusing if he weren't straining his mind to dig in his memories until he finally found what he was looking for. _'Shit…Sai…The ROOT.'_

It was so obvious now. The attack...the one who debilitated Minato from inside the walls. It was Danzo. Naruto buried himself into his own thoughts, cursing his own idiotic and dense brain for forgetting about that man.

The dispute ended as fast as it started with a satisfied Minato, who kept an unreadable expression on his face while secretly moaning inside his mind at the sight of the twitching eye of the old war hawk.

"Then back to the business. The first and second round will last a total of five days, those who fail either exam will leave the village immediately afterwards. The first part's supervisor will be our lead interrogator Kawa Makoto." Minato gestured toward the named shinobi, who nodded and stepped forward to speak.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. We will follow previous examples before the war. The first will be a written test, with a stressed decision making situation, after information gathering and sharing." The Hokage nodded, not aware of his relatives riotous inner thoughts glued around Danzo.

"The second part's lead supervisor will be Orochimaru-san, who himself volunteered for this job." Minato gestured to his left, where the named Sannin emerged from the shadows like a ghost and Naruto finally left his own troubled mind and clenched his hands in his rising anger. Anger toward the snake freak and anger toward himself, because he hadn't sensed his presence in advance.

But now that the man stood almost in front of him, the disgusting smell of the reptile filling his whole nose. His troubled brain didn't process the meaning of his sentences when he started talking, even his voice was disgusting. It was dead, cold and slimy.

He could feel as a small drop of sweat slowly ran down his spine when the slit amber eyes wandered toward him, shining with an odd sparkle which he absolutely did not like. He measured him like he was some kind of delicious food he was about to swallow whole after squeezing the life out of it. Naruto almost gagged when the tip of the long, pointed tongue sneakily trailed along his tooth behind the parted lips. His eyes locked, while the speech of the Hokage became only a distant noise.

"Supervisors will attend the second part, operate and interfere if necessary. I don't want any pointless deaths during the second ortion of the exam. The nations already have enough war casualties and I don't want to increase these numbers. Several traps will be placed all around the forest by Toroku, who will also be the supervisor of the one-on-one fights."

Minato gestured toward his brother, and frowned when he noted his trembling fists. He tracked his eyesight back to Orochimaru and concern rose inside his chest when he also realized the odd light in the amber eyes. However he couldn't identify it, unlike the blond chuunin. Naruto had already seen it in those creepy eyes. It was excitement and…hunger…hunger for power.

"Toroku." Naruto flinched from the sudden raised voice and glanced toward his father with a confused face.

"**Naruto! Pay attention! We will discuss everything later."**

"Y-Yes?"

"Prepare for a preliminary before the third round if necessary. We will have more participants than we first planned for." Naruto nodded.

"If there aren't any questions then we are finished." The Hokage glanced around the room, and when nobody raised his voice he nodded.

"Then the briefing is over. Toroku, I want to have a word with you." The attendees left the room after a bow or a short nod, or in Danzo's case without any motion or word.

Minato turned toward the snake summoner one more time with an unreadable expression, observing the emotionless face and the odd glint in the eyes of the man. Countless questions rose inside his chest from that look. The sannin's behavior of late was odd since Sarutobi nominated him as his successor and not his student. He became paranoid and more addicted to his research; sometimes he would barricade himself for days in the closed section of the library, and sometimes simply disappear from the village for days or even weeks.

The sannin finally averted his gaze from Minato's 'brother', and left the room along with everyone else after a small nod toward the Hokage. Only Toroku had stayed, his narrowed blue eyes following the back of the snake until he disappeared behind the entrance.

"Toroku." The blond turned around to meet his father's eyes.

"Yes?"

"Did you have a confrontation with Orochimaru?" Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow.

"No. I didn't even talk to him. Why?" Naruto felt as a droplet of sweat ran down his spine by the obvious lie. Well, actually it was just a half lie. He really hadn't even talked with the snake-bastard in this timeline. Minato just nodded, closing the conversation by grabbing a paper from one of the trays in front of him.

"I hate when you do this."

Minato raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up from his paperwork. "Do what?"

"Just once would you give me a straight answer? Only once in a lifetime and I will be satisfied."

Minato let out a sigh and shook his head. "Sorry, I can't talk about it."

Naruto slowly shook his own head and folded his arms across his chest. His eyes wandered toward the hands of his father, his fingers around the fine brush, to distract himself. The tactic was successful. A frown appeared on his face in the next second.

"Did you propose to Kushina like you said you would?" A satisfied smile replaced the frown when the Hokage winced at the question.

"I see. So the fearsome Yondaime Hokage, the yellow flash of Konoha, the one with the 'flee on sight' command under his name in the bingo books, chickens out because of a girl." Minato winced over the paper one more time and let out a sigh.

"No, I'm-I'm just waiting for a perfect opportunity." Naruto observed the man in front of him for a long silent second.

"I think you are just scared." Minato finally raised his head to look into the eyes of his brother, who almost made a step backward when he noted the odd sparkle in those eyes.

"Yes, I'm scared, but not because of the reasons you're thinking of. If I link her to me, I will be endangering her life. My enemies would target her, as they have already targeted you." Minato dug his face into his palms.

"I want to. I really want to. But just by wearing my name, Kushina will be in danger. What if I die and I left her with my surname? What if-if we have a child? What if my enemies go after my infant's life to have revenge against me? These questions just don't let me rest. They come up again and again." Naruto could almost see as worry radiated from his pores. _'So that is it. That is why I get my mother's surname. To protect me. Long after his death, he still looked after my life, he still gave me protection.'_ He stepped next to his father, and his hand moved toward his shoulder almost unconsciously to give his reassurance.

"That won't happen. I won't let you die, nor will I let anyone harm Kushina, or your future children. We are family. We are here to protect each other. Under the name of Namikaze or not. But Kushina will wear the name with pride, and not with fear, so will your children in the future. She is a kunoichi and a damn good one. Don't act like an overprotective father."

Minato stayed silent for a long second, and then finally glanced up to his brother when his soft voice one more time echoed inside the office.

"Don't be afraid, I will protect her. I promise. Odoroki Toroku never goes back on his word." Guilt rose inside his chest once again, together with yearning, forcing him to avert his gaze from his father.

He missed his old name, so damn much he couldn't even describe it. He wanted to hear his name slip from his father's lips, he wanted to end all of this, to erase the enormous walls of lies which were slowly shrouding his existence. But for the sake of everything he considered dear to him, he couldn't be selfish. This time, he had to act from the shadows as a real shinobi even if that meant he had to erase his old self. Even if Uzumaki Naruto had to perish, together with his previous achievements, from the history books.

But all of it would be worth it. If it meant that his loved ones would be safe, it was worth it. He could do it for a little longer. Only until he found that damn Uchiha. No more. Just until then.

"No. You are wrong." He snapped his head back to his father, confused, only to face his soft smile.

"It's Namikaze Toroku who never goes back on his word." Naruto stared back for a long silent second, his mind suddenly numb after it processed the words and his previous determination cracked. His lips parted to answer, but he instead nodded, unsure of his own voice. Namikaze... The name tickled inside his head for a long minute, talking down and overwhelming Kurama's voice at the back of his mind until his shocked face moved into a wide and proud smile.

That was all he wanted in his childhood.

That was what he craved for all those long, long years, to be a member of a real family. And now, in this surreal world where he finally received it from his own father, his joy and pride suddenly disappeared and was replaced with new emotions. He felt awkward, alien…and guilty. The temptation rose again with unbearable force, together with his guilt, to confess everything. He locked away the voice of Kurama, echoing inside his consciousness; he locked out everything else from his surroundings. Only two things were crystal clear. The picture of his father with the soft smile on his face and the unbearable guilt inside his own chest, squeezing his heart painfully, his soul struggling continuously from the agony.

His azure blue eyes had locked with identical ones, looking into his very soul for a long moment, increasing his struggle. He wanted to tell him everything, he wanted to tell him that he had already learned the Rasengan, that he had developed it further, that he had become strong like he wanted him to be. He wanted to see his father's eyes shining back at him proudly as he spoke his own name and not a false one. Kurama's angry voice was surpassed by the loud echo of his pounding heart.

To hell with the consequences!

His lips slowly parted, but his throat felt dryer than the desserts around Suna. When his voice finally left his mouth it was weak and sore, almost unnoticeably faint, but it stabbed the silence around them unmercifully.

"I…" His father eyed him curiously, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I have to-I want to tell…" Naruto swallowed, to ease away the dryness of his throat, never letting go of his father's gaze, not even for a moment.

"I want to tell you something." He choked out finally. Minato sent him a small encouraging smile.

"What?" Naruto swallowed again, a soft warm breath leaving his lips as his sweat soaked hands clenched into fists from the tension gathering in his very soul. His lips parted one more time, to finally confess and to get rid of the unbearable pain inside his chest and the enormous burden he was carrying.

But the moment was disturbed by a harsh knock on the door and the secretary stormed into the office before he could say anything. When she left the office only a minute later, the moment was already gone, as was the temptation.

"Sorry. What did you want to tell me?" Naruto watched his father for a long silent minute, then in the end slowly shook his head and a soft smile appeared on his face.

"I just wanted to thank you. You can't imagine how much this means to me." His only answer was another soft and warm smile, while he desperately tried to block out Kurama's angry voice inside his head.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

A lot of things are forming in the background so those need a little preparation and Naruto is starting to have doubts about whether it really is a good idea to hide his identity like Kurama suggested.

**Never **by **Dreamyin **

"Poem/Poetry. Many years later, following the old advice of Ero-Sensei, Naruto decided to give a new outlet a try." (A little poem about the core of Naruto. :) )

**Blind Stars of Fortune **by **100demons**

"Thirty year old Kakashi was supposed to have been killed by Pein during the Invasion. Instead, he wakes up in the body of his twenty year old self. (It gets a lot more complicated.) Time travel." /I'm really enjoying reading this story. It isn't just the going back, kick ass and win kind of fic, its much more about cunning and politics. /


End file.
